|
|
October 27
Professor Pontecorvo was last seen seven weeks ago in Finland
1950: Hunt for missing Harwell scientist
England have
MI5 has been brought into the hunt for the missing atomic scientist Bruno
Pontecorvo who has not been seen for about seven weeks.
Professor Pontecorvo and his family arrived in Finland at the beginning of
September but they have since disappeared. There is speculation the family may
have gone to Russia.
The professor had recently left his post as a principal scientific officer
at Harwell atomic laboratory and was due to begin a new job at Liverpool
University in January.
His disappearance - coming just 10 months after another Harwell scientist,
Klaus Fuchs, confessed in January to spying for the Soviet Union - is bound to
raise concerns.
The Minister of Supply, George Strauss, has told MPs the professor had had
only limited access to "secret subjects" for some time.
But he admitted it would have been possible for the Professor to gather
information, at Harwell or while he was in Canada, which could be of value to
the enemy.
He said Professor Pontecorvo had been screened several times in the last
few years by security officers.
Professor Pontecorvo was born in Italy, moved to France in 1936 and from
there to the United States in 1940. In 1943 he became a member of the joint
Anglo-Canadian atomic energy team at Montreal.
He was posted to Harwell in January 1947.
Information on Professor Pontecorvo"s disappearance has been passed to the
United States.
The professor"s sister, Anna Pontecorvo, who lives in Hampstead in north
London, travelled with her brother, his wife and three sons to France and Italy
in July.
She said her brother had not mentioned any plans to go to Russia during the
time she spent with them.
However, a passenger in the airliner which took the family from Stockholm
to Helsinki said that during the flight the Pontecorvos" five-year-old son
Antonio had told him they were going to Russia.
There are direct flights from Helsinki to Leningrad and Moscow.
Protesters formed a human chain and charged at the police
1968: Police clash with anti-war protesters
Trouble has flared in Grosvenor Square, London, after an estimated 6,000
marchers faced up to police outside the United States Embassy.
The protesters had broken away from another, bigger, march against US
involvement in Vietnam but were confronted by a wall of police.
The breakaway group, led by the Maoist Britain-Vietnam Solidarity Front was
almost thwarted by the march organisers who were aware of the plan and feared
violence would erupt.
Once in Grovesnor Square the protesters formed a human chain and charged at
the police wall but failed to break through and, after three hours of stalemate,
they all dispersed.
In the streets surrounding the square fireworks and other missiles were
thrown but no injuries were caused and police considered them to be isolated
incidents.
The rest of the march, organised by the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC),
continued peacefully to Hyde Park.
At Downing Street, Tariq Ali of the VSC handed in a petition, signed by
75,000 to ask the government to stop supporting the US in its war against
Vietnam.
The Home Secretary, James Callaghan, praised the demonstration saying
"self-control was shown by the mass of the demonstrators."
He also praised the discipline and restraint shown by police.
"I doubt if this kind of demonstration could have taken place so peacefully
in any other part of the world" he said.
Security for the march was high. A 1,000 strong team of police was
stationed outside the US Embassy and policemen lined the route of the march with
back-up following in coaches.
The turnout for the march was around 25,000, half the number predicted by
police and organisers.
But, far from being disappointed at the low turnout Mr Ali said; "This is
not the end. This is the beginning of the campaign."
Vocabulary:
thwart: hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of(阻碍;反对) |
|
发表于 2016-7-9 23:18:53