Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-25
Phony Filibuster

phony FiIibuster
Most II not al OF the self-styled liberal
Senator'S who are dlibustertng against the
Atomic Energy Act amendments have de-
nounced the nlibuster In past years as an
evil and Ubiquitous thing. But this, Of
course, was when . nlibuster was being
used to block q vote on legislation which
they favored-such as the civil rights pro-
posalS
Now the shoe Is on the other foot. The
liberals" knowing that they are In the
minority, are trying to talk the Acc
amendments to death. And they are try
ing to justify their hlibuster by claiming
to be the only true guardians Of the public
interest.
All of this may be in the best partisan
tradition But the pretensions to virtue
which are being advanced by the f1libuster-
ing Senators should not be accepted with
out critical examination. What is 1t that
they are really hlibustering against?
They say that they are trying to pro-
tect the public against some kind Of gigan-
tic, but not too clearly specified, give-away.
The implication is that the administration
has either been bamboozled by the private
power interests, or has sold out to those
interests, and that the filibustering Sen
ators are kind Of modern Horatius holding
the bridge against the onrushing horde Of
private-industry hooters.
This Is stirring picture, but 1t over
looks some significant facts. One Of these
facts Is that the substance Of the amend
ments was unanimously recommended
after long study by the I'VE members Of
the Atomic Energy Commission, three Of
whom were appointed by President Tru-
man. And early last month the Acc sub
mitted a report to the Joint Congressional
Committee or Atomic Energy In which 1t
told why it favors the amendments.
The more important Of these reasons
may be stated In summary form as follows:
~ Between now and 1875 the demand
for electric power in this country will ap-
proximately triple.
(2) The Acc believes that nuclear
power should be developed In order to sup
ply somewhere from 2 to 10 per cent Of the
1875 consumption. This will become In
creasingly important as our own fossil fuels
decline pressure which already is being
felt severely in some foreign countries we
would like to help.
go Nuclear power, however, "is not yet
an economic reality in the competitive cost
sense" and the Acc believes the. big job Of
driving costs down to competitive levels can
best be accomplished by joint effort Of
both industry and Government as a work.
ing team.
az In order that the principal effect
of realizing nuclear power may be to con-
firm and strengthen rather than to change
our economic institutions and our way Of
life, the Acc believes that nuclear power,
as it becomes economically attractive,
should be integrated into the existing
power economy of the Nation; that nuclear
power should be produced and distributed
by the private and public power systems
and not by the commission.
(5) Obtaining full participation of the
Nations electric energy producers and
equipment manufacturers In the develop
ment and production Of nuclear power Is,
in the Acc judgment, the best mag of Sc
curing the maximum return on the public
investment in this phase Of the atomic
energy program. The accumulated scien-
tific and technical knowledge, as well as
the accumulated stockpile Of fashionable
materials, now in the hands of the Govern
ment, are national resource. Putting
this resource to work, through continued
Government development where necessary,
and through private industry, to strengthen
the economy-to create power for industry
and homes, open up jobs, create new sources
Of revenue-will most quickly and surely
achieve and spread its benefits.
This, to repeat, is not the private power
industry speaking. It Is not even the Eisen-
hover administration These are the con-
sidered views of the five members Of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Any Senator, Of course, has the right
to disagree. But when this reasoned pres
entation is met with filibuster, and when
the filibuster trades in such shabby stuff
as shouts Of "give-away" and "sell-out," It
becomes nothing more than an essentially
phony device to impose the will Of the mi
nority on the Senate at the expense Of the
real interests Of the country.
Doone VoIley a Park
Hundreds Of American readers Of
Lorna Doone" must have received with In
terest the news that the novels famed To-
Gale is to be preserved as national park OF
a sort. It is IS years since Richard Dod-
bridge Blackmore published his thrilling
tale Of Exmoor, but book dealers say 1t still
is popular, one generation after another
taking up the narrative and never putting
It down until the last page has been reached