BRITAIN’S PART

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 212, 7 August 1945, Page 2

BRITAIN’S PART

3.45 P.M. EDITION

MIGHTY ATOMIC BOMB. POTENTIALITIES IN 1939. (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Bee. 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. G. Some account is now required of the part which this country played in the remarkable scientific advances which have now come to fruition, said the Prime Minister (Mr Attlee; in his statement referring to President Truman’s announcement on the atomic bomb. Mr Churchill, before the change in Government, prepared the following statement:— “By 1939 it had become widely recognised among the scientists of many nations that the release of energy by atomic fission was a possibility. The problems which remained to be solved before the possibility could be turned into practical achievement were, however, manifold and immense. Few scientists would then have ventured to predict that atomic bombs could be ready for use in 1945. Nevertheless, the potentialities of the project were so great that the British Government thought it right that research should he carried on despite the many competing claims on scientific manpower. The research at this stage was carried out mainly at Oxford, Cambridge, London, Liverpool, and Birmingham Universities.

“The responsibility for co-ordinating tlie work and pressing it forward lay with the Ministry of Aircraft Production, advised by a committee of leading scientists headed by Sir George Thomson (who is famous for his research in aeronautics and explosives). There was simultaneously, under general arrangements for the pooling of scientific information, a full interchange of ideas between scientists carrying out this work in Britain and A merica.

“Such progress was made that by the summer of 1941 Sir George Thomson’s committee was able to report that there was a reasonable chance that an atomic bomb could be produced before the end of the war. Lord Chcnvell (formerly Professor Lindeuiaun, Mr Churchill’s scientific adviser), whose duty it was to keep me informed of all the technical developments, reported in August, 1941. that substantial progress hail been made. The general responsibility for scientific research then 'lay with Sir John Anderson. Having in mind the effect of ordinary high explosives which we recently imd experienced, 1 referred the matter in August, 1941, to the Chiefs of Staff Committee in the following minute: ‘Although personally 1 am quite content with the existing explosives, 1 feel we must not stand in the path of improvement, and ior this reason 1 think action should be taken in the sepse proposed by Lord Chcr--1 well.’ The Chiefs of Staff recommended immediate action with the maximum I priority. “It was then decided to establish ! a special division to direct the work. Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., ! released Mr W. A. Akers to take ! charge of the directorate which we, ; for the purposes of secrecy, called the j Directorate of Tube Alloys. I asked 'Sir John Anderson to continue to I supervise the work, for which be had 'special qualifications. There was established under his chairmanship a consultative committee composed of Lord I Cbenvell, Lord Brabazon. the Presi- ! dent of the Royal Society, and the I secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Mr Akers headed a technical committee composed of Sir Janies Chadwick, Professor Peierls and Drs. Halban and Simon. They i were later joined by Sir Charles Darwin and Professor Cockroft Oliphaut. (All I these men arc among Britain’s foreImost scientists,) “President Roosevelt, in October, ! 1941, sent a letter to me suggesting : that any extended efforts in this imiportant matter might usefully be eoi ordinated or even jointly conducted. All British and American efforts were accordingly joined and a number of British scientists proceeded to America. “Apart from these contacts complete secrecy guarded all these activities and not a single person was informed whose work was not indispensable to progress. By the summer of 1942 this expanded programme confirmed the promising forecasts and the time came when a decision must be made whether to proceed with the construction of largescale production plants. Britain was fully extended in war production. We could not afford such grave interference with the current munitions programme. We were within easy range of German bombers and could not ignore the risk from sea and air raiders, but the United States, where parallel or similar progress was made, was free from these dangers For this reason the decision was taken to build fullscale plants in America. “The main practical effort and virtually the whole of its production cost now fell on the United States authorities assisted by a number of British scientists. Discussion between President Roosevelt and m.vsclf regulated the relationship of British and American contributions and a combined policy committee was established. “The Canadian Government, whose contribution was most valuable, provided indispensable raw material and the necessary facilities for work on one section of the project carried on in Canada by the three Governments. “The smoothness with which the arrangements in 1943 were carried into effect is a happy augury for our future relations and reflects great credit on all concerned, particularly Sir James Chadwick, who served as technical adviser to the British members of the policy com in it tir?, and on the generous spirit with which the whole American organisation welcomed our men.’’