Evening star., 1954-06-05
102d Year. No. 156.
Acc Aide Says
Dispute Hasn't
Hurt Program
Congressman Told
Of Terrific Job
Done in Atomic Work
By [. Edqor Primo

By l. Edgar Primo
An outgoing member of the
Atomic Energy Commission today
assured Congress that the much
publicized differences of opinion
within the commission had not
slowed either its weapons or
peacetime power programs.
Eugene Zuckert, whose term
expires at the end of the month,
was asked by Representative Van
Zandt, Republican, of Pennsyl-
vania, whether impressions Gre
ated in some newspaper stories
that there had been violent dis
agreement among Acc members
might not lead the public to
believe the atomic energy pro-
gram was being retarded.
Mr.. Zuckert replied that "a
terrific job" has been done on
our weapons development. He
said there has been no cessation
in the drive to produce the best
"in weapons and the greatest
advances in technology for
peaceful uses of atomic power"
Mr.. Zuckert, in teStifying be-
fore the Joint Committee on
Atomic Energy. became the third
Acc member to object publicly
to any move to enhance the
authority of the commission
chairman.
Grievances Aired.
For more than three hours yes
terday the committee, which is
considering a bill to overhaul
the Mcmahon Act of 1916, list
ened to two Acc members air
grievances" against their chair
man, Lewis L. Strauss. And the
legislators heard the latter deny
he ever took any important policy
action without consulting the
other members, as one of them
has charged.
Admiral Strauss, who was on
the stand last night when the
committee adjourned at sos
o'clock, was expected to return
today for further questioning.
commissioners Harry D.
Smyth and Thomas E. Murray
testified against what they
called setting the position
of Acc chairman apart and
above the other four members
by referring to him as the "prin-
cipal officer" And Committee
Chairman Cole said he would
not have suggested a re-
vision of the present law ION this
point" if he had known what
tempest it would stir up.
To Oppose Bill Changes.
"But now I will resist any
change in the language (of the
bilD because it will be taken in
some quarters as a reflection
upon you, sir admiral Strauss),
and this I won't do," Mr.. Cole
asserted.
Representative Holifield, Demo-
crat, of California, who has
charged that the bill would
foster "one-man rule" in the
Acc. Immediately replied that
he would offer a motion in the
committee to strike out the
words principal officer" and. if
unsuccessful there, would go to
the House floor to fight it out.
That a similar battle is shap-
ing up for the Senate floor was
indicated yesterday by Senator
Morse, independent. of Oregon.
In a speech criticizing the
special boards finding that DR..
j. Robert Oppenheimer is a
security risk, he said it was
his judgment that the language
in the Cole Hickenlooper bill is
subject to the Interpretation
that the chairman would have
very broad discretionary power
to make decisions in which his
colleagues would not have a
voice." He added:
II am disturbed about what I
read in the press these days con-
corning an attempt on the part
of some to vest in the head of the
Atomic Energy Commission
broad, sweeping and arbitrary
discretionary powers"
See Reaction to Case.
(Some observers feel that the
criticism of Admiral Strauss
by other commissioners is
based in part on his handling
of the Oppenheimer security
case. They say this may be
reflected when the full COM
mission, split 8 to 2 against
naming the chairman "princi-
pal officer" votes on whether
to accept the boards recon-
mendation in the Oppenheimer
proceeding)
Along line somewhat similar
yesterday, Mr.. Cole said he en-
visioned times when a majority
of the Acc might want to cut off
one of it's members from infor-
nation "in a limited field"