231 



The Eur atom Cooperation Act of 1958 



During congressional consideration of the President's request for 

 authority to enter into the joint programs with Euratom, spokesmen 

 for the administration supported the proposed Euratom Cooperation 

 Act in glowing terms. Under Secretary of State C. Douglas Dillon 

 outlined the benefits of strengthened European unity, Western leader- 

 ship in nuclear power, 240 and meeting the Soviet challenge. 241 



Leaders of the U.S. nuclear industry supported U.S. cooperation 

 with Euratom. One executive spoke of the choice before the United 

 States : either to let the European nuclear industry evolve at a pace 

 governed by normal commercial considerations or to accelerate it. 

 If the first policy were chosen, he thought it would be probably 20 

 years before nuclear power would be commercially competitive. Un- 

 der the second policy it would be sooner. The joint program would 

 meet the needs for acceleration, give the U.S. nuclear industry an 

 immediate market, and give European utilities a ceiling on costs of 

 fuel for nuclear power. 242 Benefits to the U.S. nuclear industry were 

 cited, although there was some doubt that helping Euratom would 

 speed the time when a European nuclear industry would compete 

 with its U.S. counterpart. 243 



Some doubt about the joint program was expressed by members 

 of the Joint Committee. One member saw it as a step to head off 

 capture of the nuclear power market by the United Kingdom 244 and 

 warned that there were limits to what the proposed joint program 

 could accomplish. 245 



Such doubts notwithstanding, the Joint Committee reported favor- 

 ably the proposed Euratom Cooperation Act, expressing its belief that 

 a vigorous program of cooperation by the United States with foreign 



mo "Of strengthening European unity. Under Secretary Dillon said*: The agreement repre- 

 sents the confluence of two important historic developments : first, the peaceful application 

 of atomic energy, a policy high among the objectives of this Government ; second, European 

 unity, a result of European inspiration and a development on which the United States has 

 looked with great interest and favor. Proposed Euratom Agreement, op. cit., p. 23. 



Of the leadership advantages he said : . . . Euratom is unique in having a political 

 status, including certain sovereign attributes of the state, which permits us to deal with it 

 unilaterallv. Combined with this political status is the scientific, industrial, and financial 

 potential of six of the most developed nations in Europe. The successful implementation of 

 the program will help maintain Western leadership in the peaceful uses of atomic energy. 

 The continuing attacks on Euratom by the Soviet Union would seem to indicate that they 

 draw the same conclusions. Ibid., p. 23. 



241 On meeting the Soviet technological challenge, he said : Recently demonstrated evi- 

 dences of advanced Soviet scientific and engineering capability have caused a serious and 

 healthy reappraisal within the Atlantic Community of the extent to which the Western 

 countries have been exploiting to the full their potential scientific strength and whether 

 this strength is being mobilized through the most effective cooperative arrangements. 

 Voices in Europe have queried whether the historic position of the United States in the 

 fiel'' of science, engineering, and general industrial development is not being overtaken by 

 the Soviet Union. Atomic energy is rightfully considered a bellwether of scientific and 

 industrial accomplishment. Ibid., p. 25. 



242 Ibid., p. 267. 



243 A spokesman for one company in the U.S. nuclear industry anticipated that the 

 proposed program would be mutually beneficial to the United States nuclear industry in 

 greatly increasing practical experience. Ibid., p. 314. Another spokesman cautioned that 

 enabling Euratom to develop its own industrial capacity more quickly than would be the 

 case without American aid would undoubtedly reduce the time in which American equip- 

 ment could be sold in Europe. Ibid., p. 329. 



241 At that time the United Kingdom was vigorously pursuing its national program of 

 building large nuclear powerplants fueled with natural uranium and there was some 

 concern lest the British dominate the world market with this technology. 



245 Representative Craig Hosmer observed that : In considering this legislation the 

 Congress should be under no delusion that it will capture the entire European reactors 

 market for the U.S. suppliers. Although there are some that will disagree with me t 

 is my personal feeling that the bill goes no further than making us competitive in this 

 market with the British. The British atomic industry can be loosely described as a govern- 

 ment monopoly. They give fuel guarantees and other incentives that would prevent us from 

 competing in the European market at all without such legislation as this before us today. 

 Cf. his remarks, Congressional Record, vol. 104, August 20, 1958, p. 187S9. 



