OPTIMISTIC VIEW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27276, 30 December 1949, Page 5

OPTIMISTIC VIEW

International Control Of Atomic Energy LONG-TERM PROSPECTS NZPA—Reuter— Copyright Rec. 9 p.m WASHINGTON, Dec.. 28. Long-term prospects for international control of atomic energy were good, said Mr David Lilienthal, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, today. , “The catastrophic consequences of going on indefinitely without an international accord are already so clear to many people and will become clear to so many more that my belief is not entirely founded on unsupported faith,” he said. He added, however,, that anyone who tried to be specific about international control was “ kidding himself. ~ , ~ , Mr Lilienthal said he considered that major advances had been made in American atomic research during 1949, but he refused to indicate in what field of research the advances had been made. “Major discoveries that cannot be talked about might just as well not bo talked about,” he said. Referring to the necessity of security in atomic matters, Mr Lilienthal said that regular meetings were held between technical men within the Atomic Energy Commission from all over the United States to minimise.the “slowing effects” of restricting scientific knowledge.