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284841067
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White House Press Release, Statement by President Harry S. Truman
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284841067
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document
title
White House Press Release, Statement by President Harry S. Truman
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White House Press Release Files (Truman Administration)
White House Press Releases
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284841067
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29
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1948-04-29
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4
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1948
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150
1610
IMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 29, 1948
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
On April 20 I submitted to the Senate for its advice and
consent the nominations of David E. Lilienthal to be Chairman of the
Atomic Energy Commission and of Robert F. Bacher, Summer T. Pike,
Lewis L. Strauss, and William W. Waymack as members of the Atomic
Energy Commission.
It is now nearly a year and a half since these five men
assumed direction of the atomic energy program as the first members
of the Atomic Energy Commission established by the Congress on
August 1, 1946. During this period, a gigantic atomic energy program
has been put into forward motion after the long period of drift which
occurred after the war. It is imperative that our program in this
field continue to advance and that there be no uncertainty in the
continuity of the experienced leadership essential for the Nation's
preeminence in the field of atomic energy.
These names have been resubmitted at this time because of
the provision of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 that the terms of all
five Commissioners should expire on August l of this year. The
purpose of this provision was to permit the President and the Congress
to have an opportunity to review the performance of the Commission
before beginning the 5-year staggered torms provided for in this Act.
The reappointment of the fivo Commissioners is based on my
firm conviction that under their direction real progress has been made
in all phases of our atomic energy program and that under their con-
tinued leadership even greater progress will be made. The Congress has
had a year and a half to observe the performance of these mon as members
of the Atomic Energy Commission and I have no doubt that the Joint
Commission on Atomic Energy has been diligent in observing their per-
formance. I have submitted their names in mid-April in order that
there should be sufficient time to enable the Senate to act on their
nominations.
I am informed that a suggestion has been made that the Senate
should not act on these nominations, bt that instead the Congress should
enact a law extending the terms of the present Commission for one or
two years. Such a proposal would restore the pall of uncertainty
which surrounded the development of this country's atomic energy pro-
gram from the Japanese surrender until the spring of 1947, when the
present Commission was confirmed. Such a proposal would have an ad-
verse effect on the urgent business of pushing ahead in our knowledge
and utilization of atolic energy both for use in our economy and for our
defense.
The present members of the Commission were appointed without
any reference to their political affiliations. Since we all recognize
the need for a vigorous non-partisan development of our atomic energy
program, I strongly urge that these nominations be considered on the
schedule originally set by the Congress.