Confirmation of Atomic Energy Commission and General Manager

The CHAIRMAN. I might say, at the start of these hearings, that they have been called by the Senate members of the Joint Atomic Energy Committee, to whom have been assigned the Presidential appointments of the members of the Atomic Energy Commission, as well as the appointment of the General Manager.

may also say that these hearings were decided upon because of the pioneering field in which atomic energy will be advanced in the future, and on the theory by the committee that the public is entitled, at the inception of this new venture in at least domestic control of atomic energy, to know something about the members of the Commission and something about the General Manager of the Commission. The committee felt that it was only public service that these hearings be held for the purpose of discussing this field that is of such great interest to everyone and at the same time is really quite mysterious to everyone.

The hearings will go on for several days, until we have canvassed this situation. They will not always be held in this room. They will have to be held in rooms that are convenient at the time and that are not being used by the regular committees to whom the rooms are assigned. But those announcements will be made from day to day at the close of the hearings.

Senator MCKELLAR. Mr. Chairman, may I ask how they will be arranged as to days? At the present time we have hearings going on as to Mr. Clapp, who is the head of the TVA. That is before the Public Works Committee. They hold hearings every off day, when the

These hearings were held pursuant to reference of these appointments by the President pro tempore of the Senate to the Senate section of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, as contemplated in the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 and as further supplemented by S. Res. 63, 80th Cong., adopted January 20, 1947.

Congress is not in session. They have been holding hearings usually that way. They held three last week.

Will it be possible that your hearings are not held on the day that they hold their hearings?

The CHAIRMAN. I am afraid, Senator McKellar, that we will have difficulty trying to accommodate our time and their time in every instance. The committee the other day seemed to be in agreement that, because of the importance of this activity and the vastness of the atomic energy enterprise, it was incumbent upon us to conclude these hearings with as great rapidity as possible, and, after we have begun them, to continue right on as rapidly as we can.

Senator MCKELLAR. Every day?

The CHAIRMAN. Every day, if possible. That is simply because the question of confirmation of appointees in this great enterprise, that is now in the process of being shifted from the Manhattan district to the new Commission, is of such importance that we feel speed is very essential in getting down to business in this thing and establishing the Commission in its final authority.

I will say this: We decided that we would try to hold hearings of this committee on the mornings on which the Senate convenes and on the afternoons of the days that the Senate does not meet; with the idea that there are fewer standing committee meetings on the mornings on which the Senate convenes. And most of the standing committees meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and the afternoons of those days will probably be freer than any other afternoons.

Senator MCKELLAR. I would like very much for it to be worked out in some way so that I can be present at the hearings of both Lilienthal and Clapp.

Inasmuch as they are held by different committees, I hope that you can arrange with the chairman of the other committee so as to conduct hearings just as rapidly as possible and yet not keep me from being present at the hearings in each case.

The CHAIRMAN. I will say to the Senator that we will use every reasonable effort to make that accommodation, but I will also say to him that I can give him no assurance that in every case conflicts can be avoided.

The Commission appointed by the President is as follows: Mr. David Lilienthal, of Tennessee, as Chairman; Mr. Robert F. Bacher, of New York; Mr. Sumner T. Pike, of Maine; Mr. Lewis L. Strauss, of Virginia; Mr. William W. Waymack, of Iowa.

The General Manager, whose nomination has been sent to the Senate, is Mr. Carroll L. Wilson, of Massachusetts.

The committee has decided that each of the Commissioners will be asked to discuss with the committee some of their broader philosophies of atomic energy, and to make themselves available for questions by the committee in connection with matters which occur to the members in this field.

Therefore, we will ask the first appointee, Mr. David E. Lilienthal, who has been designated as Chairman of the Commission, if he will make himself available to the committee at this time for questioning and for such statement as he may care to make.

I instruct the reporter to copy into the record, prior to presentation of testimony in each case, the statements of experience and qualifications which have been received for each of the appointees.

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Confirmation of Atomic Energy Commission and General Manager: Hearings ...