~Jin
Mr. Nichols discussed the status of the Materials Testing Accelerator
Materials
Testing
Accelerator
Program (MTA). Originally, he said, the MTA was thought of as an alternative to the ore supply.
Now the ore supply is more certain.
Dr. Rabi
.
Program pointed out that MTA also had two other purposes when originally. planned,
namely, the production of polonium substitutes and the production of
tritium,
It was agreed that the critical requirements for both these
materials have changed,
Mr. Nichols explained that the Commission would have a proposal for
the Fiscal Year 1955 Program for MTA before it soon, and that he was
seeking guidance as to the appropriate funding level for this activity.
Dr. Smyth restated the question as, should we put the results ; as
they now stand, on the shelf; or should we spend another 33 niltion.
dollars or so to operate the new machine and then put it on the shelf?
Mr, Murray thought it a mistake to keep putting off the decision as
to what to do with the MTA,
He said that unless we. are going to build a
production machine we probably ought to stop, but that the GAC could
give the Commission advice on this subject.
Dr. Smyth and Mr, Nichols, in response to Dr. Rabi's question, exno
plained the Commission's proposed plan to segregate information of low
Category
of
security significance but of value to industry and friendly foreign |
informa~
tion
countries. Dr. Rabi inquired into the adequacy of Belgian security.
Smyth stated that generally it was pretty good.
Dr.
Dr. Rabi then mentioned
three items which he ‘thought bore on this information problem:
(1)
denial to the Russians;3 (2) prevention of competitor nations obtaining
& position adverse to ours; and, (3) securing an advantage to the United
States by trading.