Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-10

largely in the blueprint stage,
1t has created great expecta-
tons, particularly in the under
developed countries, throughout
the world.
Exaggerated ideas of the eco
nomics of atomic power may
possibly be entertained, but
there is reason to hope and ex-
pect that atomic power will be
a great boon to power-poor and
high-cost power countries. Atoms
for peaceful power must become
an essential part Of our Point
III program.
Because of the existence of
abundant lower-cost power from
other fuels in this country, we
have not had the same incentive
to press ahead with develop
ment and have Jagged behind
the British and in all probability
the Russians in developing pro-
grams for the building of full
scale atomic power plants. 1t is
true we are operating more than
a dozen large reactorS for the
production Of plutonium and
many smaller research reactors
Power Plants Lacking
We have also built a few
atomic plants for submarines
But we do not yet have a single
reactor in actual operation de-
signed for the production of
commercial power. and only one
such is presently under con-
Struction. In short, we are by
no means maintaining our
leadership in the atomic power
field.
/ While we have spoken much
OF the peaceful use of atomic
energy for power as a means OF
lifting the standard Of living in
power-poor countries and have
committed ourselves to cooper
ate with them in making atomic
energy available to them for this
purpose. we have failed to de-
ivelop at home sufficiently
vigorous reactor program to en-
able us to do so. AS Prof.
Henry De Wolf Smyth. q former
member of the Atomic Energy
Commission. has written in a
recent article in Foreign Affairs:
How can we offer to build re-
actors abroad without building
enough reactorS here to know
what We are doing? How can
We expect to send materials and
helpful information If we let our
technology fall behind?"
"AbdicatiOn" Laid to Acc
The difnculty comes from the
fact that the Atomic Energy
Commission has abdicated its
major responsibility in this field
to the private power industry.
The Atomic Energy Commits
sion frankly expressed the view
that while 1t must take the
lead and carry most Of the bur-
den of developing nuclear power
reactor technology. industry
should take the initiative and
assume major responsibility for
Ifull-Scale prototype reactorS."
The result Of this policy, most
experts believe, is that we in
America are not advancing
nearly as rapidly as we might in
Harvesting the atom to peace
full uses. Before science can ex-
tract power from the atom as
cheaply as from coal, oil or fall
ing water. years of costly exper-
imentation still remain. There
are at least 100 ways of produc-
ing atomic power that scientists
consider worthy Of exploration.
Progress in this field depends on
attacking on a multitude Of
fronts. each offering great hopes
but no certainty of success.
Clearly, this is not a job for
private enterprise alone. Private
concerns, responsible as they are
to their stockholders, quite prop
Ierly have an eye on the profit
and-loSs ledgerS. They cannot
be expected to gamble on bold
new types of nuclear power
Iplants-plants that may open
the door to new miracles. but
may also end in failure, and the
wasting Of large investments.
This is not a question Of ex-
Icluding the private power in