University of Virginia Library

Science Panel Studies
Nuclear Age Problems

International security problems
which may result in the coming
decade from the increased use of
nuclear energy to generate electric
power will be focused on May 8-9
at a University conference.

To be sponsored by the University's
Center for the Study of
Science. Technology and Public
Policy under a grant from the Ford
Foundation, the international conference
will be attended by some
25 invited participants from 10
countries, representing government,
nuclear industry, the academic
community and research organizations.

According to Center director
Mason Willrich, professor of law,
the same fissionable materials are
used in any nuclear capability
whether for civil or military purposes.
The increased use of nuclear
energy to generate electricity will
result in an accumulation of large
amounts of fissionable materials by
technologically advanced and some
less developed nations, says Mr.
Willrich.

The conference will focus on
such areas as the military potential
of civil nuclear industries in key
non-nuclear-weapon countries such
as West Germany, Japan, India and
stacl: the application of eternal
controls or safeguards to civil
nuclear industries: the reaction of
particular governments to the military
potential of civil nuclear
industries in other countries, and
whether or not the international
security problems resulting from
the availability of fissionable materials
can be adequately handled
within the present structure of the
international system.

The Center has commissioned a
number of papers to provide a basis
for discussion of security problems
and for evaluation of existing
policies for dealing with these
problems.

The author of a recent book on
the nuclear non-proliferation
treat. Mr. Willrich served in 1962
and 1964 as a member of the U.S.
delegation to the 18 Nation Disarmament
Committee in Geneva, Switzerland,
and in 1964 and 1965 as a
member of the U.S. delegation to
the International Atomic energy
Agency in Vienna, Austria, where
he worked on the development of
international safeguards for the
peaceful use of nuclear energy.