CONTROL OF ATOMIC BOMB ORES.

Evening Star, Issue 25849, 20 July 1946, Page 6

CONTROL OF ATOMIC BOMB ORES.

In all problems concerning control of atomic energy the greatest is admittedly the control of raw materials, and it is to ensure this that there has been proposed a world inspection network by an international commission to be appointed by the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission or other organisation whose sole responsibility will be atomic energy control. Mr Bernard Baruch's recommendations to the United Nations Commission advocated international ownership of- the mineral sources of fissionable material, but geologists and metallurgists believe that an effective programme of control by inspection can be devised. One of the most troublesome problems of inspection of raw materials would be the detection ot new discoveries, which could easily be kept secret by any nation so desiring, irrespective of any commitments entered into with regard to the world organisation. It is claimed that at present 'only" two key elements would need to be under inspection, uranium and thorium, both of which are fissionable and of forms that are capable of a powerfully explosive chain reaction. Other elements iaok these features, and for the present do not call for control. "Uranium is found in more or less limited quantities in various parts of the world, including Russia; thorium is less well distributed. There are very few actual mining centres 'of either element, but inspection must, of course, extend beyond these and embrace all those'countries where uranium in any quantity at all is found, and even where it might be suspected to exist. Some present latent areas would doubtless be incapable of producing' sufficient ore to make inspection worth while, but as no one apart from the few in the secret —and they are keeping the information to themselves—knows how much uranium is required to make even one bomb, it becomes very difficult to establish a low limit for uranium or thorium content below which inspection would not be needed. Uranium-in Very small quantities is used in the making of decorations of glassware, pottery, tiles, or other ceramics, and it lias been suggested that its-use be discontinued in favour of substitutes. Where this is not desirable the element could be distributed in small quantities under license.

Inspection would necessarily have to be free and unhindered in every aspect, backed by honest replies to all questions and honest returns of all stocks, discoveries, and uses. The. obtaining of the sweeping rights needed will not be easy, and Russia is already fighting against the proposals in favour of something savouring of a gentleman's agreement, which might be well enough if there were not so many examples of where gentlemen's agreements haye led in the past. Before there can be any successful inspection network there must be a firm foundation of economic and political agreements. This the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission recognises, but the agreements are not going to be «asy to effect. Nevertheless, at the back of everything it would be hard to credit that, considering the devastating nature of the bomb —only in its infancy as yet—any nation would not be ready to make some sacrifices of integral rights in order to ensure its own, and world, safety. ____^__-