Evening star., 1954-05-27
MI. lie Boron's Proposal

Robert LIE Baron, who will soon retire as
chairman Of the Defense Departments liaison
committee to the Atomic Energy Commission,
has made an interesting proposal proposal
well worth serious consideration-in advocating
that the United States undertake a kind of
"crash program" to speed up the coming of
nuclear power for benef1cent, peaceful uses.
AS he himself has explained it, in a speech
at La Crosse, Wisconsin, Mr.. LIE Barons idea is
simply that there should be set up special prof.
ect that would be devoted exclusively and in
tensively to the task of harnessng the atom
for industrial energy and other non-military
purposes project that could achieve in this
field the same sort of success as our wartime
Manhattan Engineer District" achieved with
its "crash program" to produce the worlds
first A-bomb.
In Mr.. lie Baron's judgment-which has a
great deal Of atomic experience behind it-such
an effort would equip the United States with
economically feasible nuclear power in the next
five years. Otherwise, If no special steps are
taken, we probably will not be able to reach the
goal for at least another ten years. Meanwhile,
an all-important fact to be reckoned with is
that the Russians-wholly apart from the Brit
iSt, who may be ahead of us already-are re-
ported to be busily striving for supremacy in
this field, and conceivably they may beat us in
the race If we fail to step up the pace of our
operations to put the atom to peaceful work.
The potential significance of all this was
well emphasized some months ago by Acc Com
missioner Thomas E. Murray when he an
nounced our Governments decision to build
nuclear reactor to produce at least 10000 kilo-
watts of electrical energy. Thus, in Mr.. Murray's
words, RusSia's hydrogen-bomb accomplish
ment last August, great as we must admit it
f0 ho &c tod f0 f1o w0r
hopes" than would have been the case If the
Soviet Union had been able to assert at that
time that ut had been successfully operating
a practical industrial nuclear power plant
and was that day offering foreign nations
nuclear-power technology in exchange for
uranium, coupled with other favorable eco
nomic and political agreements" As Mr..
Murray has said, this view is based on the
following considerations, among others:
ID The U.S.. s. r. is fully capable Of de-
veloping nuclear industrial power. (2) If we do
not make every effort now to be first in the race
to produce such power, 1--WE may be deprived Of
foreign uranium ores, with the result that our
weapons potential will be smaller" (3) This is
true because the Russians, If they get the Jump
on us in this field, will be able to bid powerfully
against US with enticing atomic offers that
might well have the effect Of persuading energy
hungry countries-especially in Asia and the
Middle East-to "grayitate" toward the Kremlin.
1t is because of such possibilities as these
possibilities whose realization would gravely
affect our Nations position in the global bal
ance of power-that Mr.. LeBaron's proposal
should have careful study. Although Chairman
Cole and Vice Chairman Hickenlooper of the
Joint Congressional Atomic Committee have
taken rather dim view Of the idea, it GER
tainly makes enough sense to deserve more
than = perfunctory glance and swift dis
missal.