Evening star., 1954-06-04
0ppen|1einer
Ruling |sUnfair,
Scientists Say
Federation Charges
Politics Motivuted
Physicists Custer
BY the Associoied Press

4uc rcUeraClOu OF American
Scientists says the ruling against
Physicist j. Robert Oppenheimer
stems from a security system
now motivated more by the
risks of politics than the risks
of disclosure of information"
Describing as unfair" a spe-
cial inquiry boards 81 finding
that DR.. Oppenheimer is a Sc
curity risk. the federation said
in a statement last night that the
Atomic Energy Com m S 81 ion
should conduct a review as DR..
Oppenheimer has asked.
DR.. Oppenheimer was in
charge of A-bomb development
at Los Alamos, N. Mex, during
World War II and until his
suspension last December was a
top-level consultant to the Gov
ernment on nuclear physics.
The majority of the board Of
inquiry found he contributed
to delaying a concerted start on
hydrogen bomb development and
had associated with Communists
for years.
Statement Issued.
Following is the statement by
the Executive Committee of the
Federation:
"The majority report of the
Personnel Security Board which
heard the Oppenheimer case
bears the imprint of fair minded
men struggling unsuccessfully
against the pressure of a security
system extended beyond reason-
able bounds. The report finds
Oppenheimer to be unquestion-
ably loyal to this country.
"Evaluating the charges re-
lating to his past associations
and beliefs, the report finds that
they would not in themselves
affect his clearance. 1t finds no
substantiation for the charge of
overt efforts to impede or slow
the H-bomb program. Never
theless, it finds it impossible to
recommend his continued clear
ance because Of: Alleged lack
of enthusiasm for the H-bomb
program, serious disregard Of
security requirements, suscepti-
bility to influence, and "less than
candid" testimony before the
board.
"And this despite the findings
that Oppenheimer had displayed
"a high degree of discretion re-
f1ecting an unusual ability to
keep to himself vital secrets"
and that the Nation owes him "a
great debt of gratitude for loyal
and magnificent service" 1t is
ironic that this service in
cluded major role in producing
many of the very secrets the
security system is designed to
protect.
1--WE believe the majority find-
ingS to be unfair to Open
heimer. But more than that. we
believe them to illustrate the
dangers and the bitter fruits Of
security system which is now
motivated more by the risks Of
policies than the risks of disclo-
sure of information. The board
itself recognizes that much
larger issues are involved in this
case; it notes that the reopening
of the Oppenheimer case is the
result not of change in Open
heimer but of change in
security regulations and the cli-
mate of national opinion.
Where the Fault Lies.
IF it does not make sense
to find risk in a man who has
proven himself in the most
secret councils of government
and we believe it does not on
the evidence so far provided
then attention must be directed
to the security system under
which the case has arisen. The
fault lies, at least in part. in
criteria so loosely and generally
drawn that they can even admit
to serious consideration. in esti-
mating security status, such fam
tastic assertions as lack of en-
thusiasm" for official policy.
THE threat lies in the use Of
security machinery to dispense
with technical consultants whose
views may no longer be &C
ceptable to the administration
in Office. The danger lies in the
encouragement of independent
minded men, including many
scientists. from lending their tall
entS to Government.
1--WE hope that the atomic en-
ergy commissioners will again re-
view the record and. within the
bounds set by law and executive
order. do Justice to Oppenheimer
as an individual. But beyond
that we urge strongly that the
entire machinery of security must
tSelf come under review. The
people are seeing SAM
pies of the mixing of politics and
security in such highly publicized
proceedings as. the Army McCar-
thy hearings.
1T is to be hoped that these
hearings will attract attention to
The underlying problem-the ex-
oloitation Of legitimate concern
Tor national security for political
ends. Security machinery has
only one justification. to protect /,
q small area of vital national
Information. 1t cannot efficiently
DO more; it cannot do more with
put sapping our national strength
and eventually destroying our
and practices as a free