THE AMERICAS: Atomic Sendoff

The supercommittee of personal representatives of the Presidents of the Americas, proposed at Panama last July by President Eisenhower to guide the Americas toward greater “material welfare and progress,” met for the first time last week in Washington. The idea men chose Milton Eisenhower, Ike’s brother and representative, as their chairman, assigned themselves study tasks, set their next meeting for January. Most notable development: Chairman Eisenhower’s promise that the U.S. will join in a plan to train Latin Americans in atomic-energy techniques at the Spanish-language University of Puerto Rico. But the atom’s promise lies some years ahead. As the supercommittee deliberated, the U.S. Export-Import Bank met one of Latin America’s most urgent needs by lending $100 million to Argentina, where the rail and highway system is near the breakdown point for lack of locomotives and trucks.