Press release by United States Atomic Energy Commission, "United States Industry Urged To Be Ready To Aid in Building Research Reactors," March 3, 1955 Further details on the United States allocation of nuclear material for research reactors of other countries were announced today by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. This program is one of the major projects in President Eisenhower's atoms-for-peace plan, and the United States has earmarked 100 kilograms of Uranium 235 to be available for these reactors. At the same time, the Commission urged American industry to be prepared to assist other nations in the design and fabrication of research reactors and components. It was announced in December 1954 that the reactor fuel would be in the form of uranium enriched in varying percentages of the fissionable isotope of Uranium 235. A maximum enrichment of 20 percent of U-235 by weight has been established by the Commission. Although the program still is in a formative stage pending the negotiation of Agreements for Cooperation with other nations under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, in general, the greater degree of enrichment desired the smaller will be the amount of U-235 that can be obtained by a single applicant. There are already several types of good research reactors which can be constructed well within the maximum enrichment of 20 percent. Additional designs are expected to be developed abroad and, commercially, in this country. Press release by United States Atomic Energy Commission, "Enrollment Completed for New AEC Reactor School: 19 Nations Represented," March 5, 1955 Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, today announced that enrollment has been completed for the new School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, one of the major projects undertaken by the AEC in cooperation with the State Department and the Foreign Operations Administration in support of the President's atoms-for-peace program. There will be 31 scientists and engineers from 19 nations representing a cross section of applicants from Europe, Central and South America, the Near, Middle and Far East, among the initial enrollees. There also will be nine U. S. students in the class of 40. The nations represented in the first class are: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, France, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand. The School of Nuclear Science and Engineering will be located at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, which is operated for the Commission by the University of Chicago. Dr. Norman Hilberry, Deputy Director of the Laboratory, will be the head of the school, which will have a fulltime faculty, and be provided with its own laboratory facilities. Dr. J. Barton Hoag, on loan from the U. S. Coast Guard Academy, will serve as Associate Director at the school. The seven-month session will include unclassified courses in design, construction, and operation of reactors for nuclear research; principles of design of nuclear power reactors; handling of irradiated materials: and other related peacetime applications of nuclear energy. Outstanding specialists from other AEC laboratories will be scheduled for special lectures. The students will be guests of the Foreign Operations Administration in Washington for a week beginning March 7. Included in their program for that week are a reception on behalf of the State Department at Blair House, a visit to the White House where they will be greeted by President Eisenhower, a luncheon with members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy and special background lectures at the AEC. ROSTER OF ACCEPTED CANDIDATES FOR SCHOOL OF NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY Argentina... Australia Belgium. Brazil. France Greece- Guatemala Indonesia__ Israel_ Japan Mexico Pakistan... Philippines Carlos Leon Atilio Buchler, Buenos Aires; of the Argen- Emilio Oscar Roxin, Buenos Aires; of the Argentine- Ronald Kenneth Warner, Killara, New South Wales; of Allan Ralph Wannop Wilson, Balmoral, New South Pierre Jean Marien, Ghent; Officer Belgian Army Raoul Snoy, Brussels; Chief, Technical Department, Jean A. Storrer, Ghent; Engineer with Cie Belge de- Borisas Cimbleris; Brazilian National Research Counci Dr. Osman Hassan El Moufty, Cairo; Physicist, Uni-versity of Cairo Andre Rene Gautier, Seine et Oise, France; Engineer Hubert L. Villiers, Paris; Engineer with Stein et Rou- Gustavo Rene Monzon, Guatemala City; Production City Baiquni; Solo, Indonesia; of Technical Faculty Gadjah Yoel Robert Gutmann, Rehovoth; Research Chemist,. Yoshinori Ihara, Tokyo; Chief, Planning Unit, Research Victor Flores Maldonado, National University of Dr. Ahmed Hussain; presently-Fellowship National Dr. A. R. Rana, Peshawar; Lecturer in Physics, Educa- Jose C. Torres, Manila; Engineer with National Power Portugal... Spain... Sweden... Thailand. United States. Ricardo de Melo Cabrita, Lisbon; Research Engineer Jose Ruiz Lopez-Rua; Junta de Energia Nuclear, Jan Erland Flinta; Physicist of Swedish A. E. Company Sangat Rudrakanchana, Bangkok; Senior Lecturer Clifford F. Berniger; Republic Aviation Stafford V. Christenson; Donovan Construction Co. Seth S. Grossman; International Harvester Company Hideyoshi Nakamura; Convair Division of General John J. Pohl, Jr.; Newport News Ship Building and Dry Howard A. Wilber; Detroit-Edison Company Address by Morehead Patterson, United States Representative for International Atomic Energy Agency Negotiations, "Man's Benefits From the Atom," at opening of School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Lemont, Ill., March 13, 1955 This day is a day to remember. It marks the beginning of an extensive, permanent program of international education to apply the knowledge of the atom to the betterment and the improvement of mankind. You who come from every continent of this earth are true trailblazers in a historic program of peaceful cooperation. Representatives from 20 countries are ready to begin here at the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering a most unique and fruitful program. Highly significant in the operation of this school is its worldwide representa Let us call the roll of the continents: from Africa, 1-Egypt; from Asia, 6-Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Thailand; from Australia, 1-a continent itself; from Europe, 7Belgium, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland; from the Americas (South, Central, and North), 5-Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States-20 countries, 40 students. Each of you is a living testimonial to the desire that burns in all the world's people: to help one another toward greater health, security, and well-being. Through your studies here you will have the opportunity to make a substantial contribution toward that end. The opening of this school is a true realization of the hope that modern man can learn to overcome his fears and his misunderstandings in much the same way that we have learned and are still learning to fathom the infinite mysteries of nature and to apply them to the benefits of all. This School of Nuclear Science and Engineering equally represents a remarkable advance along the path of international cooperation. 1 Reprinted from the Department of State Bulletin of April 4, 1955. One of the greatest obstacles to the development of the peaceful uses of the atom is the lack of a large enough body of scientists and technicians trained to deal with nuclear materials. We cannot have power plants fed by atomic fuel until we have engineers and technicians who know how to design, build, and operate them. We must train many individuals all over the world to grasp the problems and to know what is required to work safely and effectively with atomic materials. The number of reactor engineers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and elsewhere in the free world are all too few. Their numbers must be rapidly increased, especially in those areas where such specialized skills may most readily be put to work. AMERICA'S HATRED OF WAR The existence of this school for the exchange of know-how to the benefit of mankind is typical of the way in which the American people express their deep and genuine hatred of war and all that it implies. War, and especially 20th-century war, must of necessity bring with it the type of political and economic regimentation which is destructive of the finest and most productive values in American life. On American civilization and institutions flourish in peace. December 8, 1953, President Eisenhower delivered his momentous message to the world-a broad plan for turning the atom to peaceful uses. "It is not enough [he said] to take this weapon out of the hands of the soldiers. It must be put into the hands of those who will know how to strip its military casing and adapt it to the arts of peace. "The United States knows that if the fearful trend of atomic military buildup can be reversed, this greatest of destructive forces can be developed into a great boon, for the benefit of all mankind." The harnessing of the atom for peaceful purposes is a natural and inevitable step for the American people. The sharing of this knowledge with our friends is natural and inevitable. It was natural and inevitable that the American people should disarm with almost frenzied rapidity after World War II. What other country could have demobilized 8 million men in 10 months? It was also natural and easy for the United States to offer, as they did under the Baruch Plan, to give up their most powerful weapon of war-the atomic bomb-and offer to internationalize atomic energy. And this despite the fact that the United States had a monopoly of that weapon at that time. The sole condition of the offer was that a foolproof system of safeguards be worked out and established internationally. Those were easy, unhesitating decisions for the American people. The difficult and trying decision is to spend so much time and effort in the sterile business of keeping pace with the warlike gestures and preparations of the aggressors. And, yet, we know that we must do that also for the general security. We turn most naturally and gratefully to the development of the atom for peace. The impact of the President's December 8 thought was very great. It stirred the imaginations of people all over the world and created a wave of enthusiasm which even a dash of Russian cold water failed to chill. NUCLEAR FUELS FOR ELECTRIC POWER In the public discussions on the potentials of the atom the aspect that has attracted principal attention until now is the prospect of cheap and plentiful electric power, using nuclear materials as fuel. The world's energy requirements are rising so rapidly that much of our immediate interest in the atom is concentrated in this field. A good part of your own time at this school will be devoted to certain aspects of this subject. The countries which you represent hope to realize as soon as possible many benefits from the development of reliable and economical power plants utilizing nuclear fuels. For each country the timetable of this development will vary. The power requirements of all your countries are increasing rapidly each year. It is possible to estimate with reasonable accuracy the time when it will no longer be possible to expand the conventional sources-waterpower and coal-in pace with the requirements. In most of the countries of Western Europe the problem will become acute in 10 to 15 years. Indeed, Portugal estimates that her requirements are increasing at the rate of 20 percent per year-a 5-year problem. I am deeply convinced that the atom holds limitless potentialities for human good. Science and industry, hand in hand with government, will level the barriers that stand between us and the economical application of nuclear power. Yet I must sound a word of caution. Every promise has three dimensions, one of which is time. "When?" is a most important word. We will bring only disappointment and disullusion if people are persuaded that this is an easy and quick assignment. But Freer exchange of scientific information between our countries-as represented by this school-will hasten the time of success. we must all realize that great human and material effort must still be exerted before we can tap the atom's full potential. Even when we have succeeded, it will not be the answer to every problem in every corner of the earth. The Sahara Desert just cannot be made to bloom next year. The North Pole need have no fear that man will be able through the atom, to melt the icebergs of the Arctic Circle in 1958. Before we can run, we must learn to walk. INTERNATIONAL AGENCY These past months progress in another direction has been made toward international cooperation in peaceful uses of the atom. We have moved forward on the path leading to the creation of an international atomic energy agency as suggested by President Eisenhower. A draft statute for such an agency has been prepared and is presently under active negotiation. Included in this statute are numerous constructive steps suggested during the lengthy and helpful debate on this subject in the last United Nations General Assembly. While it would be premature to discuss today the details of the proposed agency, I am confident that there will be in existence an active inter 2 See copy, footnote p. 316. |