5, Successor to Dr. James G, Beckerley,
The Comuittee discussed a
request of the Commission and General Manager for suggestions of the
names of individuals who could succeedDr. Beckerley as the Director
of the Office of Classification.
The Committee, as such, did not make any single recommendation.
However, individual members had certain suggestions which have already
been transmitted oratly to the General Manager. In general, the
Committee was of the opinion that it would be wise to obtain the
services of an individual already in the Commission organization,
whether, directly employed, or in a Commission laboratory or facility.
It was the opinion of the Committee that such a policy of selection
could obtain the services of very capable people, and make for closer
connection between the Washington offices and the field.
6, Pricing of fissionable material. The Committee has studied the
paper, "Plan for an accelerated reactor development program! (AEC
- 152/49), and finds it is in warm agreement with the general direction
of policy which is therein outlined.
7.
Accelsrators.
The Committee wishes to approve the desire of the
Division of Research to support the Argonne National Laboratory in
its proposed study of a high energy accelerator to be constructed
sometime in the future.
The Committee also wishes to suggest to the Commission that the
cooperation of the Midwestern scientists who are interested in high
energy research be sought for the design of this machine,
8,
CASTLE tests.
The Committee wishes to express its highest admira-
tion for the excellent job which was done by the personnel who carried
out the CASTLE series of tests of thermonuclear weapons. It was most
successful in spite of great difficulties incident to carrying out
exact measurements at a remote base under very restrictive weather
conditions;
_ The Committees naturally. is very highly gratified with the results
of these tests which Have not only increased the power of our weapons,
but opened very promising avenues.of research and development for the
future,
In this connection, we wish to approve the suggested plan of
the Commission to obtain a Presidential citation for the superb per~
formance of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.