Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-08
BY EUGENE M. ZUCKERT

When the international Atomic
Energy Agency opens its organiza-
ton meeting in Vienna next
month, q major political victory
for United States leadership In
the peaceful use Of the atom viii
have been won.
On another more immediate
and more tangible front. however.
that leadership is begging down.
One essential Of United States
pre-eminence is the supplying Of
power reactors to nations needing
them. While many actions have
been taken by the United States
in this direction. no program
exists for bringing to bear q clear
concept and bold action.
The international Agency is
becoming a reality because Of
the determination Of the Eisen-
hover administration. supported
by atomic leaders in the Congress.
that it should become q reality.
The success Of that effort is
proved by the fact that 81
nations. including the Soviet
Union, were persuaded to take the
unanimous action that gave the
organization its birth.
But the problem Of making the
United States a major factor IN
the building Of power reactcrs has
been handled in q different at
mosphere and with different atti-
tudes. The general objectives
have been stated by the policy
makers in eloquent terms. but the
necessary foIlow-up action has
lacked imagination and the sense
Of urgency demanded BY dim
cult and truly competitive situa-
ton.
Paper ALLEGATIONS Of nuclear
fuels, bilateral agreements. sales
and grants Of research reactors
abroad are acceptable preliminar-
les to the actual sale Of power
reactors. But these alone will not
enable the United States to over
come very definite advantages pos
sessed by the British and soon to
be possessed by the West Ger
mans.
The Essential Foctor
Senator Pastore. Of Rhode Is
land. who occupies q position OF
real eminence in the field. recently
said before the Senate IN con-
nection with the proposed Inter-
national Atomic Energy Agency:
The only things thot will make 4
verk--and the only things thet could
make il work are the FeoetcFs which
We are vet to build. The International
agreement Is NOT worth the pcpes Il Is
written on unless we build reoetos
which will convert special nueleor mo-
teriol into electricity ond power"
What the Senator said Is equally
true whether we are talking about
action by the international agency
or United States dealings with In
dividual countries.
The first missing ingredient OF
the American bid for international
power reactor leadership, ! feel.
is q specific and bold objective.
Less than two years after the first
announcement that President FL
senhower was allocating sub
stantial quantities Of nuclear fuel
to peaceful uses abroad, there Is
no United States-sponsored power
reactor plan to employ that fuel.
There is no expressed determine
ton by any policy head that
United States reactors will he ex-
ported according to any specific
program.
It is a characteristic Of govern
ment behavior that there must be
clearly defined detectives and re-
sponsibilities and commensurate
priorities If a complex program Is
to achieve momentum. In default
of a dramatic program and CEN
tralized responsibility for its ex-
ecution, the government agencies
concerned devote too much en-
phasis to defensive action and In
ter-agency debating.
In the case of our foreign re-
actor program. the Atomic Energy
Commission, the State Depart
ment and the International CO.
operation Administration have
acted in accordance with this
axiom Of organization, and the
result has been q lack Of Arm
progress as well as jurisdictional
squabbles that threaten to sub
merge the important goal Of
United States leadership.
The Foets Of Life
A definite program for building
q number Of large and small power
reactors abroad within q SPECIFIC
time is also q cornerstone badly
needed by United States industry
at this stage Of the atomic energy
industry. Onetime exhilaration
about the great future Of atomic
power has been sobered by the
facts Of life.
It is beginning TO be quite APP
parent that making atomic power
a reality is going to be q difficult
Job technically and an expensive
one for industry. Building reac-
tors for domestic use promises
long-term profits only after heavy
losses: the economic incentive to
use atomic power near-term in
large quantity does not exist in
this country.
Therefore, our reactor manufac-
flirera mist look ahroad. ~ fhAv