PEACE FROM THE ATOM

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 802, 3 December 1954, Page 18

PEACE FROM THE ATOM

HE ‘other weekend members of the United States Joint Congressional Committee for Atomic Energy visited New Zealand. In the course of their Pacific, Asian and European tour the Joint Committee wanted to look at New Zealand’s potentialities as a producer of heavy water, important in the production of atomic power. The NZBS managed to detain the visitors long enough in their whirlwind

progress to get them to record a discussion with Professor Cc. N. WatsonMunro, New Zealand’s leading atomic physicist, who _is shortly to take up the position of Chief of Research of the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. The peaceful uses

of atomic energy was the subject of their discussion, under the chairmanship of Ulric del’H. Williams. Those menibers of the Joint Committee taking part were Senator John W. Bricker, leader of the party, and Representatives Thomes .A. Jenkins, Carl Hinshaw and James E. Van Zandt. Atomic energy, at this stage of its development, has two main peaceful uses-in radio-active isotopes and as a source of power. In agriculture, where disease-free varieties of crops have already been developed; in medicine, where small doses of radio-active matter

have enabled diseases to be located with almost miraculous precision and then cured; in ordinary medical routine, where doctors could now make use of atomic X-ray machines "the size of a quart can,’ which did not need to be plugged into a main; in all these ways the atom has been tamed. The group discusses New Zealand's contribution to the supply of raw materials for manufacturing atomic power in industry and also United States plans for distributing atomic material and for disseminating information about its use. The Peaceful Uses of Atomic Power will be broadcast by all YA stations at 9.15 p.m. on Monday, December 6.