What You Should Know about the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes: "The Woman's Voice" Asks Dr. Salwa Nassar

"During the past month Dr. Charles Malik, Lebanon's Ambassador in Washington, signed an agreement with the United States under which Lebanon is granted six kilograms of uranium, to be used for peaceful purposes."

A piece of news repeated by the world's broadcasts and newspapers with great emphasis. To enlighten its readers, the correspondent of The Woman's Voice went seeking the news at its sources, drawing from Dr. Salwa Nassar the measure of this news's importance for us as citizens... Is it within the power of Lebanon, and of the Arab countries after it, to profit from atomic energy in positive, peaceful ways — and what would that require??

Why did we choose Dr. Salwa Nassar? Because she counts, among our fellow citizens so far, as the one who has gone furthest in study and specialization into the dimensions of the atom and its fields...

She is a lively, gracious girl. She sprang up in Dhour el-Shweir and excelled early in mathematics — even at the American University, where she took her bachelor of science, she shone among her fellows. They urged her to complete her studies beyond the seas; the means were found, and she did not hesitate a moment. In a few years she gained a master's degree in science from Smith College, then a doctorate in cosmic rays from the University of Berkeley in California.

She now holds the post of head of the physics department at the American University of Beirut. She has been invited to represent Lebanon at a number of international scientific congresses, and she is likely to take part this summer in the conference on nuclear furnaces to be held at Geneva.

Our choice of Dr. Salwa Nassar, then, is no matter of partisanship for our sex; the degrees and the experience she has attained in America and Europe make her, by right, the first authority in this field — not in Lebanon alone, but in the whole Arab East.

Dr. Salwa Nassar is a rare scholar of our world. And it astonishes you that such lofty learning should be joined to this measure of modesty, kindness, and simplicity!!

— The Editors —

Q — What is the importance of the atomic agreement Lebanon recently signed with the United States? And do you know the story behind it??

A — About two years ago, the United States, on the recommendation of President Eisenhower, set aside one hundred kilos of enriched uranium to be divided among the small democratic countries wishing to embark on nuclear research and to build a nuclear furnace; Britain followed America's example and earmarked forty kilos of uranium for the same purpose.

It is well known that uranium cannot be bought on the world markets, and the small nations cannot profit from it even should its raw ore be found, since refining and extracting it is out of the question for material and technical reasons — so it was self-evident that the only way for the small nations to obtain uranium was to accept it "as a gift" from one of the powers that possess it!

Whether nuclear furnaces are built for research or for power, uranium remains their principal fuel. It is true that the elements plutonium and thorium can serve in its place; but the first does not exist in nature, and the second, which abounds in certain sandy deserts, needs special treatment to become fit for use.

Q — You mentioned something about nuclear furnaces. What is a nuclear furnace?

A — The nuclear furnace is the apparatus in which the fission of uranium takes place. When uranium is split, an enormous heat energy is generated (hence it is fitting that we use the word "furnace"), which can be used to drive machinery, to generate electricity, and so on. This kind of furnace is built expressly for power; there are other kinds whose object is the production of radioactive materials and of the neutrons generated, and these are built for the sake of scientific research.

It has become clear to me, from my conversations with certain responsible officials, that Lebanon's interest in the nuclear furnace is in principle for the sake of power, scientific research coming as a secondary matter. But whatever the aim, the first necessity is to make ready a large number of specialists.

Q — Does Lebanon possess the specialists to build and run a nuclear furnace? And how many persons does such a project require?

A — Today we have only two persons holding a doctor's degree in physics: Dr. Hassan Musharrafieh and myself — and each of us has had experience of work in some branch of atomic or nuclear physics — but neither of us has specialized in nuclear furnaces as such... There are, however, people in Beirut on whose knowledge and experience one can rely and draw — even if they are not Lebanese. We must also encourage the Lebanese students now in the universities of the West, specializing in physics or kindred fields, so that they will wish to return to their country and work in it and for it. For the nuclear furnace, whether for power or for anything else, requires some 75 persons — physicists, chemists, mathematicians, electrical engineers, skilled mechanics, machine-makers, and technicians — and to prepare this number as it should be prepared we need long time and great expense. Those who are to work at turning the products of the nuclear furnace to peaceful purposes must likewise be trained.

Q — And what exactly do you mean by "peaceful purposes"?

A — Nuclear furnaces yield radioactive isotopes as by-products, and these radioactive isotopes can be used in medicine for both ends: treatment and diagnosis. They have likewise been used in the field of agriculture: for research into fertilization, the killing of insects, and the improvement of breed (in animal and plant). In industry the radioactive isotopes have helped save millions of dollars — for example, the Tapline company used radioactive cobalt to verify the welding of its pipes, or for tracing (as traces).

Q — Since the nuclear furnace involves such heavy costs, is it necessary for Lebanon to have a furnace of its own?

A — No doubt one can profit from the countries that have preceded us in acquiring a nuclear furnace — modern aircraft are technically equipped to carry radioactive isotopes intact, and within ten or fifteen hours they can be deposited in the laboratories, as Dr. Kabir did at the American University. But there are two principal reasons why we must acquire an institution for research, whether a nuclear laboratory or another. First: it is time for Lebanon to resume its traditional role of giving the world of its produce in the fields of science. Has not this been, since the dawn of history, one of the justifications for our existence as a nation and for our continuing to live??

The other reason for the necessity of building a nuclear furnace of our own is that it would be a spur to our young men who specialize in the West, so that they return to pursue their research and studies in their own country and are not forced to emigrate for good and change their nationalities in order to be able to carry on research where the facilities exist — whereby we should have lost the flower of our sons!

Moreover, by building our own nuclear furnace we encourage our youth and spur their ambition to choose the fields of the atom as branches of specialization, in the hope of returning one day to their country, where this great atomic center would give them the way to show their gifts and capacities; and it would also fulfill the hopes some place in Lebanon as a vast source of power to be used in industry.

Q — What do you propose for setting this project in motion?

A — To carry out this project I propose the founding of a "National Council for Scientific Research," made up of persons of scientific competence — to be appointed directly by His Excellency the President of the Republic, deriving its authority from him and answerable to him. The annual budget of this council should be one percent of the general budget of the State, to be spent on the following:

1 — The sending of scientific missions, here or abroad, for specialization in the fields of science.

2 — Research projects.

3 — The administration and running of the research institute to be created along with the furnace.

And I must say that the building of the nuclear furnace alone will cost the government half a million dollars — and without this furnace we can in no way profit from the six kilograms of uranium, the gift of the American government!

Q — And when do you think this project will be accomplished!

A — The project of the nuclear furnace, and the training of technicians for it, requires no less than six years, if not ten! And it is wisdom to begin today laying the plans and directing some of our gifted students. If "power" is what we want, then in my opinion we must prepare the building of the institute and the men; then profit by the experience of others, such as America and Britain, by setting out to learn which nuclear furnaces suit us best economically, and adopting them.