The UN's Atom Agency
KATSCHER, FRIEDRICH
Project designed to spread peaceful use of atomic energy By Friedrich Katscher THE UN'S Atom Agency Vienna On December 2, W. Sterling Cole will enter the former Merchants' Hospital of Vienna to...
...There followed a soft, friendly conversation...
...Of course, many years will pass before the first atomic-power station built as a result of the IAEA's activities furnishes electricity...
...In effect, it is to act as a bank: handing out the materials, equipment and services put at its disposal In the atomic powers for a reasonable sum...
...This often seemed connected with political conditions...
...At first, the Soviet bloc was strongly opposed to an American as Director General...
...will supply (for a nominal fee) 5,000 kilograms, the USSR 50 and Britain 20...
...The IAEA's first budget, for the year ending December 31...
...The Director General is under its control and must perform his duties in accordance with the regulations it adopts...
...Karl Gruber, president of the conference and Austrian Ambassador to the U.S., called for a vote and the Soviet move was overwhelmingly defeated...
...Then James J. Wadsworth, deputy U.S...
...A neutral should get the job, it insisted, and the names of a Swede and Italian were buzzed around the hall...
...With the groundwork completed, what is the IAEA's future...
...A small research reactor needs between 1 and 3 kilograms of U-235, or about 3 tons of U-oxide...
...In addition, the Agency itself will carry on atomic research as well as aid in the exchange and training of scientists and technicians...
...Ironically, though, this is likely to be helped along by the East-West struggle...
...An inspection staff will be set up to make sure that prescribed health and safety measures are observed, and that the fissionable material distributed is not used for military purposes...
...Nevertheless, it made a third vain attempt to gain Communist China's admission at a session of the conference's administrative committee...
...The Board, in turn, appointed Cole, 53-year-old ex-head of the Joint Congressional Atomic Energy Committee, Director General...
...Of the U-235, the U.S...
...There is speculation that agreement was also reached on the appointment of a Soviet vice-director...
...The initial "capital" of the "world atomic bank" is 5,070 kilograms (11,177 pounds) of U-235 and 100,000 kilograms (110.23 short tons) of uranium oxide...
...Until now, countries lacking the natural resources and/or the money for research had to solicit big-power aid...
...Pavel Winkler, to sit alongside him behind the placard reading "United States...
...Portugal has offered the U-oxide...
...The next day, Winkler was elected chairman of the Agency's Board of Governors...
...On hand were 350 delegates, advisers and observers from 59 countries, who watched intently as East and West struggled for top positions in the Agency's administrative structure...
...Since no veto is possible under the IAEA statute, the Soviet bloc had to accept this verdict...
...Thus, exactly 15 years after Enrico Fermi and his team of scientists achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain-reaction, a project devoted to spreading the peaceful uses of atomic energy around the world will get under way...
...Later budgets will run between $3 and $3.5 million, of which $1.8 will go for salaries and wages...
...At the plenary session which had to approve Cole's selection, the Russian delegate, Professor V. S. Emelyanov, said he would not oppose the appointment because he was aware of the prevailing cooperative spirit and wanted to keep "the agreeable and pleasant atmosphere...
...The U.S...
...A 23-mem-her body, the Board includes three Soviet-bloc nations (Czechoslovakia, Rumania and the USSR) and three other countries that often vote with it (Egypt...
...Project designed to spread peaceful use of atomic energy By Friedrich Katscher THE UN'S Atom Agency Vienna On December 2, W. Sterling Cole will enter the former Merchants' Hospital of Vienna to begin a four-year term as Director General of the United Nations' newest specialized organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA...
...Besides serving as a banker, the IAEA will also have certain control functions...
...The Soviet arguments were seconded by Egypt, India and Indonesia, but only three or four Western spokesmen rose to answer them...
...The staff of about 370 that will soon start working in Vienna can succeed only if nations advanced in atomic research are willing to share their scientific experts, equipment, information and fissionable material with the atomic have-nots...
...This was guaranteed by the results of the IAEA's first general conference, held in the Vienna Konzert-haus from October 1 to 24...
...1958, amounts to a little over 84 million...
...Decisions 011 assistance to members are not to be based on political, economic, military or other considerations...
...The Agency is designed to remedy this situation...
...Moscow and Washington, to the benefit ef the smaller nations, will undoubtedly attempt to prove that one is willing to do more than the other for the peaceful uses of atomic energy...
...Eventually Wadsworth put his arm around Winkler's shoulders, making it evident that a compromise had been struck...
...Several days earlier, though, the Communist countries had twice attempted to seat the representatives of Communist China and East Germany as "observers...
...This depends upon the U.S., USSR, Britain, France, Canada and the uranium producers...
...Finally, Dr...
...Contrasted with the $24 million Secretary General Dag Hamarskjold has asked for the UN Emergency Force in the Middle East, this is a minute sum for a project that will vastly improve the living conditions of all mankind...
...It is charged with guiding the Agency's work and preparing an annual report for the general conference...
...will also contribute a research reactor, an isotope laboratory and a technical library to the Agency's Austrian headquarters...
...representative to the UN and Western whip at the parley, invited the chief Czech delegate, Dr...
...Allocations are lo be made in a manner that will insure the most efficient utilization of the Agency's available resources, with particular stress on the needs of underdeveloped areas...
...This includes the cost of installing the secretariat and its equipment, as well as the expenses of the preparatorv commission...
...India and Indonesia...
Vol. 40 • November 1957 • No. 44
