CONTROLLING THE BOMB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26115, 30 March 1946, Page 7

CONTROLLING THE BOMB

' UNITED STATES * PLAN

(Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Mar. 28. The State Department has released a plan, for controlling the atom bomb. The report recommends the creation of an international atomic development authority (A.D.A.) as the sole producer of the world’s fissionable materials, which would be leased to science and industry. The plan contemplates ultimately handing over to A.D.A. the knowledge at present possessed exclusively by the United States, and also ownership of the Oakridge and Hanford plants, in which atom bombs are manufactured, and ownership of all uranium mines. All plants processing atomic energy material would be invested in A.D.A. under a world agreement making national or private ownership illegal. Energy material would be denatured and rendered unsuitable fox' bombs, and then issued to secondary plants throughout the world for scientific, medicinal and industrial use. A.D.A. would conduct nuclear research and also retain the sole authority for carrying out research on atomic explosives. The plan explains that, because large-scale plants would be necessary to make denatured materials suitable for bombs, construction activities could not be carried out without detection. In spite of the experts’ belief that denatured materials are at pfesent unsuitable for bombs without complicated treatment, the situation might be changed by developments that have up to the present been considered impossible. .< The report concludes: “ When the plan is operating fully, there will be no secrets about atomic energy. We believe this is the firmest basis for security, because in a long term there cannot be international co-operation and control without the pre-supposi-tion of international community knowledge.”