ATOMIC ENERGY TALKS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27471, 4 October 1954, Page 11

ATOMIC ENERGY TALKS

U.S. Scientists Arrive In Britain

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 1. Nine men, who hold many atomic energy secrets, landed in Britain today from New York. They will represent America’s Atomic Energy Commission at an international conference at Harwell attended by scientists and economists from Britain, Canada and the United States. Mr William Gorvine, a lawyer attached to the Atomic Energy Commission explained their mission: “It is the classification conference—a conference to decide which top secret information shall be downgraded to secret, and so on, and eventually what shall be released for publication,” he said.

The delegation’s leader, Dr. Warren C. Johnson, of the Department of Chemistry at the Chicago University, said: “We are not dealing only with H-bombs and • other destructive weapons.

“Another side of our activities, which'does not get so much publicity, is the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. We shall discuss at this conference what information can be released to enable private enterprise to develop atomic energy for industrial purposes.” Dr. John P. Howe, of California, commented: "Already atomic energy is a potential rival to coal, electricity and oil as a means of producing power for peaceful purposes. Our economists actually estimate that atomic energy could already successfully compete with the other methods, but we have yet to prove it by actual experience.” Dr. Charles Luke, director of the commission’s office of classification in Washington, said later in London that the American party would travel to Harwell on Sunday evening and open talks with the British and Canadians there on Monday. These would probably last three days.