ABSTRACT
Atoms for Peace was initiated about the same time that the United States devised a "New Look" strategy to rely very heavily on nuclear bombs for US defense. The chief demands resulted from expanding competition in the nuclear field by foreign governments. The proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries seemed unlikely or at least controllable, as long as the United States was willing to guarantee the security of its allies and continue to improve standards of living worldwide. The achievements of Soviet nuclear technology pose more than military dangers to the Free World. Inextricably joined to the world's hopes for the benevolent atom were congressional fears about Soviet designs for world conquest. William Epstein remarked that the original idea of the International Atomic Energy Agency as a prevention against nuclear weapons proliferation had early on been subordinated to its roles as facilitator and promoter of cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy.
