"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