CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 30 November 1945, Page 3

CONTROL OF ATOMIC ENERGY

WORLD ORGANISATION FAVOURED SIR THEODORE RIGG’S VIEWS “It is essential that the people of the world should support wholeheartedly the control of atomic energy b. an international organisation,” said Sir Theodore Rigg, in an address to the Nelson Rotary Club yesterday. Sir Theodore Rigg, who is chairman of the club’s International Service Committee, dealt with the part Rotary could play in helping develop international understanding and goodwill. Atomic energy held in its train infinite possibilities of destruction, and on the other hand good possibilties of benefit to mankind. These benefits must be made freely available to men everywhere and the only way to do this was through an international organisation. Sir Theodore appealed for support for the international organisation set up as the result of 52 nations ratifying the charter drawn up by the San Francisco Conference. “It may not be all we would like to see,” he added. “Maybe we in the smaller countries feel that the great powers are carrying too much power, but it was abundantly shown that they were not prepared to limit the powers they had drawn up and meantime we can only support the organisation.” If international control of atomic energy was agreed to, the speaker suggested that this type of control could be extended to other subjects such as human nutrition, health measures, soil erosion, education, and scientific research in general. In all these things research did not serve individual countries, but the world as a whole and it seemed an uncommonly good plan for it to be undertaken by an international organisation. The importance of UNRRA in international affairs was also stressed by Sir Theodore. It was impossible to get a peaceful world unless people had the simple necessities of life. He appealed for wholehearted support for UNRRA and the New Zealand section of the organisation, known as CORSO. A vote of thanks to the speaker was carried on the motion of Rotarian W. A. Armstrong. Visitors to the luncheon were Messrs N. J. Palmer, R. Hammond, T. Gill and E. Richards, all of Nelson.