CANADA WORKS ON ATOMIC ENERGY

Chronicle (Levin), 4 February 1947, Page 5

CANADA WORKS ON ATOMIC ENERGY

Received Monday, 7 p.m. NEW YORK, February 2. Dr. C. F. Mackenzie, Director of Canada's N.ational Researcli Council, intervieived, diselosed that American monopoly in atomic energy was broken by Canada which was operating- a chain reacting pile and already stockpiling small amounts of plutonjum. Work at Chalk River, Ontario, began in wai* time in collaboration with the United States which successfully explored the use of graphite in constructing a pile, wdiile Canada was asked to expefiment with heavy water. Canada and the United States coJlaborated for nearly a year after the war but when this was prohibited by Congress, Canada went on alone and was now using heavy water to sloiv down neutrons which were then used to ehange uranium into plutonium. Mr. ]Uackenzie said the construction of a pile itself was a massive undertaking but Canada had also taken the next diffieult step of separating plutonium from other fission products. He added that Canada did not know hoiv atom bombs were piade and was also iacking industrial eapaeity to malce them. Canada, instead, was interested iii the peacetime applications of atomic fission.