The Key West citizen., 1954-12-08
Atoms-F or-Peace Program Has Gained Strength
Since Eisenhower Made Proposal A Year Ago
ATOMS FOR PEACE $50
By WARREN ROGERS JR.


Eisenhower's atoms-for-peace pro-
4 posal has, taken. hold despite the.
uncertain future seen for it when
unveiled at the United Nations
exactly one year ago today.
Eisenhower's proposal electrified
the U.N. General Assembly then
and captured the imagination of
1.-THE free world Four days ago a
rare unanimous vote, stamped U.N.
approval on the program in some
Such acceptance could hardly
have been seen year ago by the
men who helped Eisenhower re-
juggle his speech to include the
atoms-for- peace propose II, then
furiously cranked out texts aboard
the presidential plane Columbine
taking the President from Ber-
muda to New York.
Reporters who met the Colum-
bine at La Guardia Field were sur
|priSed to find the speech printed
on sheets of different sized paper,
a giveaway that something had
been added. This something was
the atoms-for-peace plan, con-
ceived as ray Of hope in what
otherwise would have been
| gloomy speech.
| Eisenhower agreed to make the
speech in response to mounting
pressure to give the public more
information about the horrors OF
atomic war. He told the U.N. the
IU.S. atomic stoekpile had more
explosive power than all the bombs
and all the shells dropped and
fired throughout World War IL.
| Then he made his appeal: ~
pool atomic materials and know
how among the nations principally
tinvol We d, necessarily includ-
ing Russia: (2) work out details in
private conversation" undertaken
in good faith.
The immediate Russian reaction
was an outburst Of derision. The
soviets, however, reconsidered and
came out with a more sober state
ment after the rest of the world
applauded Eisenhower.
The SOviets said Eisenhower S
idea was good but did not go far
Enough. They said it should pro-
hibit atomic weapons by pledge
not to use them. The United States
repeated that such a pledge was
include a system Of inspection to
|, make sure nobody cheated. The
! Russians said no to this.
Even so, negotiations b be g n
! privately on ways and means OF
, getting Eisenhower's program un-
der way. In private exchanges,
American and Soviet leaders
talked over details. Then. along
about midsummer, the talks foun-
dered.
r In the meantime, the United
j States dealt Russia out and got
together with several allies on q
revised version Of the plan. Instead
of a pool which would hold mater
I ials as well as data, they discussed
a clearing house through which
information and nuclear goods
would flow among those nations
which have and those which have
not.
Eisenhower's original propose
was aimed also at inspiring some
sort of break in the disarmament
deadlock. 1t was thought that b,
! diverting attention to peaceful
,ses some progress might be pos
sible on barring wartime uses
This disarmament feature wa!
jettisoned in the feeling it woult
be unwise to strip Western Allies o
defensive power if Russia were un
touched by any such pledge.
Congress, meanwhile. approve,
modernization of the 1916 Atomic
Energy Act. The effect was to per
NIT private development of atom
ic power plants and to allow
fuller exchange of nuclear secret
with friendlier nations.
Last September, when the U.N
got under way again, Secretary G
l. State Dulles appeared before tn
e delegates to press again for tn
y Presidents proposal.
Then the shift from pool t
IS clearing house was publicly n
E. vealed. The United States al
s nounced it was putting up nuclea
g materials for fuel in experiment;
atomic power plants to be bui
e In the end, despite bitter word.
n Russia went along About ths
v time the stalled U.S.-Russian col
+ versations had moved into a ne
phase. Eisenhower, announcin
E this early last month, voiced tf
E hope these talks = also secret
?; would ''be more fruitful than Il
- first phase.