Abstract
When Mr Attlee’s Labour Government gave way to Mr Churchill’s Conservative Government in October 1951, the pioneering or heroic period of the atomic energy project — the period to which the participants would always look back nostalgically — was almost over. Despite shortcomings in the machinery of government, and shortages, crises and difficulties of every kind, the programme was coming along almost exactly to time. The uranium metal plant was working smoothly. The Windscale piles were working too and were so simple to operate that it was difficult to remember 1946 fears about piles. The chemical separation plant at Windscale, the first of its kind in the world, was about to begin its near-faultless operation. The first billet of plutonium was to be produced within five months. The gaseous diffusion plant to enrich uranium was under construction. Penney’s team had almost finished working out the bomb design and bomb mechanics. The first military stage of the project was almost complete and the Government had simply to wait for the programme to reach its terrifying pyrotechnic culmination. Much thought had already been given to the possibilities of nuclear power.
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References
HOC Deb., 7 Nov 1945, vol. 415, col. 1300.
‘That this Hpuse regrets the slow progress made in this country in developing atomic energy for peaceful and for war-like purposes and calls upon His Majesty’s Government, whilst maintaining broad general control, to transfer work on this subject from the Ministry of Supply to a special organisation more flexible than the normal Civil Service system under the direct control of the head of the Government.’ HOL Deb., 5 July 1951, vol. 172, cols. 670–9, 684–707.
See Earl of Birkenhead, The Prof. in Two Worlds (Collins, 1961) p. 307, which says that Cherwell had been rebuffed by the Prime Minister in August and was reluctant to press the matter further but was urged by his advisers to do so. Hence the paper to the Cabinet. The biographer’s emotional description of this episode — ‘This was the act of high moral courage which must remain memorable as long as the atomic story is told’ — is scarcely warranted by Churchill’s minute. It seems clear that Mr Churchill did not care very much one way or the other but did not like being bullied. The paper was certainly not circulated to the Cabinet against Churchill’s wishes.
Ibid., P. 315.
Washington Star poll, 2 Jan 1953, Representative Harrison of Wyoming.
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© 1974 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
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Gowing, M. (1974). ‘Winston is Back’ — and Cherwell. In: Independence and Deterrence. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-15526-2_12
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