ATOMIC AGE: Pure Science

Europe’s Communist scientists are dreadfully worried by the U.S. drain on the world’s uranium supplies. Recently, the late Madame Marie Curie’s son-in-law, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, Communist head of the French Government’s atomic research program, uttered an atomic moan. The U.S., he said, has a monopoly of the world’s “marketable” uranium.

Belgium’s Paul Libois, Brussels University physics professor who doubles as a Communist senator, mushroomed up. What, he asked darkly, is happening to the uranium from the Belgian Congo?

All that Premier Paul-Henri Spaak felt free to answer was: “During the war we put at the disposal of the Allies all our uranuim. This agreement is still operating. It will be revised according to the decision to be taken by . . . U.N.”

Senator Libois was not appeased. He was sure that Belgium was still shipping most of its Congo uranium to the U.S. Libois was asked: “Do you oppose the agreement with America because you want it with Russia instead?” Unblinkingly he replied: “No, I oppose it because Belgium is literally giving away her riches.”

If Belgian Communists have their way, the party announced last week, the deal with the U.S. will be called off. Since many Belgians believe that Congo uranium is a potential energy source equal to all the world’s coal and oil (and hence that Belgium is potentially one of the world’s greatest powers), Belgian Communists thought they had an issue.