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OBJECTIVES
Under NSC 5507/2, the program objectives are: to maintain United Stites
leadership in the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy, particularly
atomic power; to promote such development in free nations abroad as rapidly as
possible; to promote cohesion within the free world; to forestall successful
Soviet exploitation of the peaceful use of atomic energy; to assure contiimed
United States access to source materials; and to prevent diversion of fidsionahble
materials to non-peaceful uses.
A.
MAINTAINING U.S. LEADERSHIP
It is generally acknowledged throughout the free world that the Unitkd States
continues to maintain leadership in the peaceful uses of atomic energy ct in the
international "Atoms for Peace® field.
No country or combination of countries in
the world is undertaking researck and development in the field cf power rpactors
on such a wide front and broad scale as the U.S.
The interest of coopergting
countries in technical as well as material assistance constitutes a recogpition
of the technical lead of the United States, despite the special circumstances
which justify early construction programs in cther countries.
The large
for the production of muclear power which have been announced by the Unit
qrograms
Kingdom
and the Soviet Union have been used to give support tc charges that the United
States is lagging in power reactor technology.
These charges, however, arf based
almost entirely upon comparisons cf the mumber of kilowatts of electricity produced,
do not give recognition to the economic differences which exist in countribs |
lacking adequate conventional fuel sources, fail to take account of the "dpal
purpose" of reactors in the U.K. and U.S.S.R., and everlook the continuing
NSC 5507/2
5.
PART |IT