Evening journal., 1919-09-26
ATOMIC DANGER
STILL FAR AWAY
Scientists Agree With With Sir
Oliver Lodge on Posi-
bilities of Energy

2Asxf MEM YORK. sept. 2o.--llle uectdt duivA'
rs of Sir Oliver Lodge that the world
ss D would not be a safe place TO live in II
atomic energy was discovered by
enemies Of society caused a great deal
i Or Interest in scientific circles. The
consensus OF opinion seemed TO be that
ST society was not In imminent danger OF
rletruciion from this source, as the
realms Of conjecture.
sssf sir oliver declared IN an address be-
fore fhe Midland Institute OF Blrming-
q ham ENGLAND. that II the atomic
energy Of an ounce OF matter could be
utilized it would be sufficient to raise
the German ships sunk In the Scapa
4 Flow and pile them on top OF the Scot
M tish mountains.
& The scientist said. however. that he
81 hoped that the human race would not
discover how to use this energy until
a Il had brains and morality enough TO
Ri llse it properly. because II the discovery
Z. was made before Its time and by the
& wrong people this-planet would be un-
safe.
Science speaks OF but two sources OF
energy, molecular and atomic. All the
& energy at the command of the world to-
day. with the exception Of radioactive
+ elements such as radium salts, is mole
ulcar. Molecular energy is chemical en-
erey dependent on the motion Of mole
cules. Atomic energy Is composed OF
the forces connected With the attrac-
ton of atoms. As the forces that hold
parts Of an atom together are very
much greater than the forces which
hold the molecules together, the release
4 Of atomic energy would develop ill-
mitable force.
The speculative possibilities OF the
release OF atomic energy are almost be-
+ yond Imagination. according to the
scientists. A force utterly dispropor-
4 donate 10 present sources OF power
would be put at the disposal OF the
world II the secret of the unlocking
and utilization Of atomic energy fell
into improper hands, society II is as
serted. would be in danger OF oblitera-
ton
The extent of such menace was
compared by George B. Pegram, dean
Of toe school of Engineering Of Colum-
hia University 10 that Of band OF
men who had the possession OF the
formula for making 4. n. T. II not other
body Of men kaesN OF It's existence.
eImaglne. II you can. band OF GRIM
inals With the secret OF making trinl-
froioluol III their possession and with
society ignorant Of its existence Dean
+ pegram said. "The consequences would
llgmtable
An0iher comparison would be that
~ sn army which had developed the
( use of explosives and artillery moving
against a people among whom all
+ knowledge OF explosives was unknown-'
Fle effect Woul be comparable II a
sudden force OF energy was released In
the world and fell In the hands Of un-
srrslpnlous persons. This Is what sir
Oliver referred to when he made tho
kassert.nn that the world would not be
safe place 10 live In II atomic energy
N. discovered by the wrong people.
NJ ihe opinion Of Dean pegram the
prospect Of science effeoting the re-
losse of the nergy contained in the
atom IS remote He took issue with
iile REPORTS Of Sir oliver Lodges speech
u which the statement was made that
et3Inie energy had been utilized in
vttei4s ieleh0ny. Dean Pegram de-
slaaed ihat In his knowledge no such
use af atomic energy had been made In
wireless communication,
The only example of the release OF
4loMic energy that we have II that az |
corded by radioactive elements, such /
IS qadium salts tie Dean said This |
nergy IS released through the disinte- /
grafton Of atoms In wireless telephony /
here IS no utilization pf the energy Of /
Sic atom.
The energy generated by the disin-
tegration Of . gram of'radum is vast
~ more than can be gained by the COM
buston Of a gram Of any other element !
At present we have no control over the
rate ef radioactive distintegration The
thances Of an atom OF radlum breaking
up in 1000 years are about even. With
3ther adloactive elements that dlsln-
eefatlon : much more rapid. But the
dlsintegratl0n OF radlum is entirely
natural and is not under our control.
A step toward the release OF atomic
Energy would be the discovery OF means
10 control the dislntegratl0n OF radio
active elements. From that stage it
might he possible 10 control the disin-
te2ration OF atoms or elements other
than those which are radioactive.
utilization Of the energy locked up
In the atoms is stll conjectural. II Is
slill tn the realms OF scientific discus
sion Various experiments have been
made with the end Of breaking up the
atom and releasing its energy. No
amount Of heat or pressure-molecular
sgencies- affects the dlslntegraiion OF
the atom. Atoms have been bombarded
With X-rays and Cathode rays, but ap-
THE proposition is TO find some proc
parently without effect.
z ess by which thestoms can be shaken
up by artificial means and forced to
give up the energy that Is stored in
Them No one as yet has found way
OF liberating the force Of energy that is
supposed by science to be stored up In
the elements that are not radioactive"
JEWS MISINFORMED.