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be used - if available in large quantities - as a fuel for driving boats 
 
or airplanes. It should be pointed out however that the physiological 
 
action of the radiations emitted by these new radioactive elements makes 
 
it necessary to protect those who have to stay close to a large quantity 
 
of such an element, for instance the driver of the airplane. It may 
 
therefore be necessary to carry large quantities of lead, and this 
 
necessity might impede a development along this line, or at least limit
 
the field of application.
 
              Large quantities of energy would be liberated in a chain re-
 
action which might be utilized for purposes of power production in the form 
 
of a stationary power plant.
 
              In view of this development it may be a question of national 
 
importance to secure an adequate supply of uranium. The United States 
 
has only very poor ores of uranium in moderate quantities; there is a good 
 
ore of uranium in Canada where the total deposit is estimated to be 
 
about 3000 tons; there may be about 1500 tons of uranium in Czechoslovakia, 
 
which is now controlled by Germany; there is an unknow amount of uranium 
 
in Russia, but the most important source of uranium, consisting of an un-
 
known, but probably very large amount of good ore, is Belgian Congo.
 
              It is suggested therefore to explore the possibility of bring-
 
ing over from Belgium or Belgian Congo a large stock of pitchblend, which 
 
is the ore of both radium and uranium, and to keep this stock here for 
 
possible future use. Perhaps a large quantity of this ore might be ob-
 
tained as a token reparation payment from the Belgian Government. In