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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7. 1948
Wallace Cleared Uranium Supply Lewis Charges
Washington, Dec. 7—(U.P.) The house un-American activities committee today summoned Lt. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, the nation's wartime atomic chief, before them to find out if Henry Wallace or anyone else overruled his ban on atomic shipments to Russia.
The group is investigating a charge by radio commentator Fulton Lewis, Jr., that, despite Mr. Groves' ban, Mr. Wallace cleared 1,000 pounds of uranium, bought in Canada, for shipment to Russia over the Alaska lend-lease supply route.
Mr. Wallace, former vice president who ran for president in 1948 on the ticket of the leftist Progressive party, has denied Mr. Lewis' charge as "sheer fabrication." He has asked and received—a promise from the testify publicly.
George Racey Jordon, a former army air force major at the Great Falls, Mont., depot, also linked the late presidential adviser, Harry Hopkins, to the atomic shipments.
Col. Russell Meredith, retired, a former commandant of the Great Falls air base, corroborated Mr. Jordan's claim that the Russians sneaked uranium and other U.S. secrets through the lend-lease pipeline.
In a radio interview over the mutual network with Mr. Lewis assistant, C. Russell Turner, Jr., Mr Meredith said that 10 tons a month of secret U.S. scientific and industrial data passed through Great Falls en route to Alaska and Siberia.
The material, he said, included "everything the Russians could lay their hands on concerning American industries, locations, plans, mechanical designs, scientific data of all kinds."
Committee members said they hope to learn from Mr. Groves just who authorized the atomic shipments and if the material was helpful to the Russians in their successful efforts to develop their own A-bomb.
Mr. Groves testified in secret yesterday before the staff of the joint congressional atomic energy committee. Committee chairman Brian McMahon, D., Conn., said only that the investigation was "proceeding satisfactorily."
The general made two appearances before the house committee the past year on Russian atomic espionage. On each occasion, he refused to go into detail on grounds that, as a reserve officer, he still is bound by a White House ban on releasing confidential material.
But from the state department and other sources, it was learned that the Russians in March, 1943, obtained official permission to ship 420 pounds of uranium compounds to Siberia. Too late to stop this shipment, Mr. Groves imposed his ban on all future atomic exports.
It was then that the Russians turned to Canada for the 1,000 pounds of uranium compounds, which—with someone's approval—they were able to fly to Siberia over the lend-lease supply route.
The Russians later managed to obtain some uranium metal. There are reports it may have been doctored to make it useless in atomic research.
Alpha Delta Pi's Rebuild Sidewalk
New cement sidewalks are being laid on the Louisiana and 12th street sides of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house. Work is being done by the M. N. Penny Construction Company and is being paid for by the sorority's house corporation.
The city has agreed to repair the intersection of the old sidewalks and the steps to the streets, which are outside the sorority's property line. Providing the weather is favorable, the repair work should be finished within a week, Rav Roberts. Lawrence manager of Fraternity Management Inc., said.
Officers, chairmen and committee members of the senior class are shown at their first general meeting recently following a dinner at the Pi Beta Phi sorority house. Assisting the group in their discussion of a gift and other class activities were Fred Ellsworth, alumni secretary; L. C. Woodruff, dean of men; and Miss Martha Peterson, assistant dean of women. Mrs. Ellsworth and Mrs. Woodruff were also present.
Senior Class Names 61 To Work On Committees
Sixty-one students have been named to the 13 senior class committees for the graduating class of 1950.
The senior class officers will supervise the work of the committees. The class officers are Richard Bibler, fine arts, president; Louise Lambert, College, vice-president; Claude Houchin, business, secretary; and Betty Jo Jones, College, treasurer.
Committee chairmen are Mabel Conderman, business announcements; Bernadine Read, fine arts, reception; Joyce Rohrer, fine arts, directory; Sally Hegues, College, luncheon; Kathleen O'Connor, journalism, cap and gown; Richard Heiny, engineering, history; John Costello, business, ring.
Robert Bennett, first year law student, gift; Craig Hampton, fine arts, prophecy; Stanley England, engineering, class day; Theodore Utschen, College, alumni relations; Harrison Madden, journalism, publicity; Charles Steeper, journalism, activities.
Students named to the committees are James Blocker, Calvin Cooley, Murray Davis, Jack Gove, Mary Hercules, Otis Hill, Robert Kline, Martha Oatman, James Olander, Jack Parker, Charles Peebles, John Pumphrey, Richard Wagstaff, and Nancy Williams, business seniors.
Dean Collins, Arthur Ford, Ernest Friesen, Marian Graham, Charles Hoffhaus, Keith Leith, Rosemary Landrey, Edith Malott, Margaret Miller, Helen Piller, Marion Rippeate, Hardy Scheuerman, Edward Stollenwerck, and Richard Traskowski, College seniors.
Ruth Brotherson, Elaine Englund,
Patricia Grinnell, and Dorothy
Dorothy Dumpton authors; Peggy Baer
Wilmer Elmer authors; an art-
miller Miller, perseverity seniors.
Mary Helen Baker, Billie George, James Hawes, and Kitty Walter, fine arts seniors; Joan Bushey, Virginia Frost, Doris Greenbank, Dorothy Hogan, Norma Hunsinger, and Ruth Keller, journalism seniors; and Ralph Brook and Robert Davis, first year law students.
Vote Shows Serenades To End
Inter-fraternity council members voted Monday night to discontinue fraternity and sorority serenades.
Problems encountered during Rush week were also discussed during the meeting. Jan. 14 was set as the date for the annual Inter-fraternity council formal party.
The vote was not a formal rejection of serenades, but a sampling of opinion among members.
Robert M. Petitt, president, and Dale Helmers, vice-president, made a report of activities at the national event last week, during the Thanksgiving vacation.
Novice Becomes Expert
Battle Creek, Mich. (U.P.)—D J c k Eddinger, who had taken up archery only two weeks before, shot a deer with a bow and arrow during Michigan's season for archers.
26 New Members To Sigma Delta Chi
Sigma Delta Chi, professional journalism fraternity, initiated 26 members Monday night at the Eldridge hotel.
"When you get an idea that looks good to you, drag it in by the heels before it gets away," he said. "The first thing you know you'll have something."
L. N. Flint, professor emeritus of journalism, was speaker for the occasion. His advice to the initiates was to "always be on the lookout for a good idea."
The new initiates to the fraternity are as follows: Stephen P. Murphy, graduate student; George L. Brown, Jr., William S. Chapman, Richard Dilsaver, Robert J. Enright, Ralph W. Hemenway, Keith E. Leslie, Robert D. Lenoard, Harrison E. Madden, Nelson Ober, Robert L. Simonton, and Oren W. Wright, journalism seniors; Edward J. Chapin, William R. DeLay, Dale W. Fields, William R. Graves, John S. Hill Lloyd T. Holbeck, Francis J Kelley, William E. Knepper, Russell J. Oleson, Arthur E. Schaaf, Robert P. Sigman, Raymond G. Soldan, and William R. Stratton, journalism juniors; and Gerald E. Edgar, first year law student.
Tallahassee. *Fla.*—(U.P.)*Florida's* court rooms are getting the woman's touch. Under a new law, allowing women on juries for the first time in Florida history, courts are busy appointing women bailiffs.
Women Serve For First Time
Any student who wishes legal counsel when appealing a traffic fine in the student court should call George Lowe, third-year law student, who was recently appointed public defender.
Lowe Appointed Public Defender
John Rader, first-year law student, was appointed sheriff of the court, at the same time.
A student who wants to appeal a traffic fine should do so at the traffic office within 10 days after receiving a traffic ticket.
Yankees Form New KU Club
The Northeast States club has been organized by Richard Miner, engineering freshman, to boost the University of Kansas in 10 northeastern states.
The group is a result of the recent Statewide Activities convocation The group met Sunday in the East room of the Union with 21 members attending.
They will meet again at 3 p.m. Sunday in the East room of the Union.
A dinner has been planned for Friday, Jan. 13, in the Kansas room of the Union. As yet the plans are incomplete.
As part of the "Boost K.U." movement, the club is planning to attend the basketball game between the University of Kansas and Springfield college to be held at Springfield, Mass., Dec. 23.
The group is anxious to contact all students from that area who may be able to attend the game. They hope to have a large group of Jayhawkers on hand to boost the K.U. team.
All who are interested should phone Joseph Olenchalk, education freshman, at 1361W.
Students in the Northeast States club are from the following states; Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Malotts Lose Day In World Flight
Wednesday will not exist for Chancellor and Mrs. Deane W. Maltott as they fly westward to India to attend an unofficial Indian-American Relations conference.
The Malotis will leave Honolulu at 11:30 a.m. today, Hawaiian time, or 4:30 p.m. central standard time. They will arrive in Tokyo at 12:30 a.m. Thursday by Japanese time or 9:30 p.m. Wednesday by central standard time.
Newly Developed Electron Microscope Will Be Used To Study Kansas Clays
The lost day will be picked up as the Malotts cover the last half of their trip around the world.
"Many properties of clays that cannot be detected by X-rays or by ordinary microscopes can be determined by this instrument," said Ada Swineford, geologist of the state geological survey.
The electron microscope, latest major research tool in ceramics studies, will soon be used by ceramists of the state geological survey to examine the particles which make up the commercial clays of Kansas.
Miss Swineford recently returned from Pennsylvania State college where she did research work with the electron microscope. She said that the information acquired by observing Kansas clays under the electron microscope will speed the determination of commercial uses for the claws.
"In order to see the particles, it is necessary to prepare a dilute suspension of clay in water, Miss Swineford explained. A drop of the suspension is allowed to dry on a thin film of plastic mounted on a tiny metal screen.
"This screen is then placed in the electron microscope and the air is pumped out. A beam of electrons is aimed at the sample, and the clay particles appear as shadows visible when projected on a special viewing screen within the microscope.
"This image may be photographed by a special camera that is built into the apparatus."
The study of clay particles, magnified 50,000 times or more, will enable the state geological survey to identify the clay minerals. They will also be able to measure the amount of surface area and from this determine the absorptive capacity of the clays. From this information may come other useful facts of commercial value.
Russia Didn't Get Bomb Data. Materials In '43
Washington, Dec. 7—(U.P.)-Whatever Russia got from the United States in the spring of 1943, it was not information on how to make an A-bomb or materials with which to do it.
The house unAmerican activities committee has produced evidence that Russia, a wartime ally, flew 1,420 pounds of uranium compound out of this country by way of the Great Falls, Mont., lend-lease depot in March-April, 1943.
But the official Smyth report on the U.S. atomic project shows that this country was not producing atomic explosives, except on an infinitesimal laboratory scale, until 1944.
It was not until the spring of 1943 that the U.S. bomb science laboratory was set up at Los Alamos, N.M., and it was not until the summer of 1945 that the first atomic bomb was put together there.
Although the basic scientific knowledge involved in the bomb had been known to the war since 1939, the detailed data essential for actual production had not been amassed when the Russians got their shipments of uranium oxide and uranium nitrate.
The Russians said they wanted the material for medical and metallurgical purposes. Whatever their real reason may have been, here is what the Smyth report says on the status of U.S. atomic knowledge at that time:
"In April, 1943, the available information of interest in connection with the design of atomic bombs was preliminary and inaccurate. Further and extensive theoretical work on critical size (of the bomb's explosive material), efficiency, effect of tamper, method of detonation, and effectiveness was urgently needed.
"Besides problems in theoretical and experimental physics there was a host of chemical, metallurgical and technical problems that had hardly been touched. Examples were the purification and fabrication of U-235 and plutonium, and the fabrication of the tamper.
"Finally, there were problems of instantaneous assembly of the bomb that were staggering in their complexity."
Actual U.S. production of atomic explosives did not get under way on a large scale until 1944. It reached its wartime peak in 1945.
But enough had been learned befort the spring of 1943 to give assurance that an A-bomb was possible.
This country experimented extensively with heavy water as a "moderator" to slow down neutrons in an atomic pile to the speed at which they were most effective in colliding T-235 and setting up a chain reaction.
Two German physicists split the U-235 atom in late 1938 and published their findings in January. 1939.
By 1939 nuclear physicists everywhere knew it was possible to split the U-235 atom with a release of 200,000,000 electron volts of energy.
An international group of physicists that year tried to stop publication of further data about it. But F. Joliot-Curie, the top French physicist and a Communist, refused to go along and the big secret was out.
Among the materials Russia is said to have received from this country was heavy water-water made with the so-called heavy isotope of hydrogen.
Because of the difficulty of manufacturing heavy water, this country decided to use graphite instead. The Germans, having access to large sums of heavy water from Norway, went ahead with it, but they made little progress with their atomic project.
It was in the spring of 1943, the year Russia got its samples, that this country strenned un research with heavy water as a moderator. In July 1944, it out in operation small heavy water pile at Argonne Ill.