N.Z. STARTING ATOMIC PILE

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1947, Page 6

N.Z. STARTING ATOMIC PILE

^ ^ (From C. R. Mentiplay, Special P.A Correspondent.) Received Tuesday, 7 p.m. SYuNEY, June 17.' Fears that Australia, which has considerable uranium resources, may adopt once again the role of supplying raw materials to more progressive countries rather than this valuable ; power source to herself, are expressed : by leading Australian scientists. This reaction follo-ws the disclosure by -the - special \ correspondent of. the- Sydney Telegraph, thaf " acc'ordiiig to Jnforma- ; tion -received by Australian scientists, ' ' • ithe • New Zealand Government has direeted its Department of ■ Scientiflc Research to construct afl. atomic, pile. The article also" states that New Zealand is zeealling fronvEngland 11 New Zealanders" who worked on ,the atomic bomb project in United States. . Keenly alive to .Ihe fact that the constructi'on of an atomic ■ pile. could place New Zealand in line witlr the most industrially advanced countries when atomic energy is used coinmercially, and that th-is would , gi ve Kew Zealand an advantage over Australia in the redistribution of British factories througliout the Empire, scientists and industrialists are deerymg Australia 's backwardness in atomic research. They point out that New Zealand gained a lead when her scientists- went abroad to study nuclear reaction while the Australian. Council for Scientiflc and Industrial Regearch preferred to keep atomic physieists in' Australia to work on radar. The head of- the New Zealand . department, Dr.. Marsden, who had the advantage oi working with Lord Rutherford -inCambridge, was instrumentai in sending the 11 scientists under Dr. , Watson Munro, to work in Ameriea-. "The fact is that New Zealand nowhas at least 11 men who, have years of. experiertce in • most advanced research overseas while Australia has only .one, " said a noted scientiflc authority today. • ' Even if Profcssor M. L. Olip^hantreturned to Australia he is not iikely.. tfr be interested in the predominantly engineering task of eonstructing an atomic pile." The oiiicial attitude is indicated by the fact that recently the Conimonwealth Government advertised for. a prineipal research offieer at a salary of £945 to £1105 yearly. Meanwhile the Minister of Defence, Mr. Dedman. and the Minister of Supply, Senator Ashley, are making a detailed report to Oabinet on the future control and development of the uranium fleld at Mount Painter. The latest indications are that the fleld is even richer than at first suspected for new deposits have been found four miles from the brigirial discovery. Three other areas are beirtg tested following reactions which show probably- the presence of; uih-niflm bearing* ore. Work . is proeeedipg ; lii rodky inhospitable>' country, whij?|i been deelared out of Lounds to anf" hui aiithorised persofls. AeceSs; ds.'lfy-sjair ffbm Brokeh HUI,. -370 'miles away fo t-n ■ i^inergencj^landing. siirip At the vfoq| of JFlinders Rhnge/ oy:--by i|aili;;3-73 i^iles ' from AdqlMde td:;Go|xley,U'ollbwfed |y a 94-mile drive eartherif tjack. iTlie. worU »1s .'bexngj Accellq^afed ^wf® Itiie 'finest'' mifling -mlLchinerjt ^'ai|a,[||| ~If. the fears of Australia-4 gciejitips areiwell ^bundeJ, Mbuni'vPainterJ' may prOvide raw niatefial- from which New : Zeal'and 's atomic. pile is built.