Evening star., 1945-08-08
u. S. Seen Reluctant
To Destroy jap Cities

To Destroy Jap Cities
Hopes Bomb Discovery Will Give
Nipponese Leaders Way Out
BY David Laurence
There is no sense of jubilation or even
OF triumph here over the development
of the atomic bomb. There is sense
OF horror and of reluctance to use the
weapon to destroy Japan.
The hope is that the japanese mill
tarists will see that the discovery really
gives them way out Of their dilemma
and that negotiations leading to the
occupation Of Japan may be begun soon.
But nobody here seems able to fathom
the possible reaction of the Japanese
leaders to the bomb. It's destructive
power sounds so incredible that it may
be that several more bombs will have
to be dropped before the Japanese real
ize that the broadcasts are not as fam
tastic as they must sound.
The Japanese, Of course. don't know
whether we have one bomb or a large
quantity and they cannot be sure
whether the whole thing isn't just
means Of inducing their surrender and
thus avoiding an invasion by our forces.
But In due time the Japanese will dis
cover that there are plenty of bombs
to continue the destruction.
Weeks Now, If Not Days.
CO Ia fEok @Ioa a,3d ~
Japanese war is merely a matter of
weeks now, if not days.
Certainly the frightfulness Of the
bomb has produced already on this side
of the ocean psychological repercussions
that make one wonder whether the de-
vice to end all wars, so long predicted,
has not finally materialized. When a
war weapon becomes SO easy to manu-
facture that it can be used by either
side there Is apt to be nonuse. Thus
gas was used in the World War, but not
in this war. 1t was not out of any
humane consideration that gas was not
used by Germany or is not being used
by Japan. The belief that the other
side can use 1t with equal destructive
ness causes hesitation.
The fact that the United States would
not use gas, but has used the atomic
bomb, disposes Of any argument that
humane considerations prevented the
would appear now that the United
States believed the Japanese would use
gas in China, where the latter's armies
are not equipped to fight 1t, and that
the rise of gases might be detrimental
10 our own forces on such small islands
as Two Jima because of changing winds.
Whatever the reason for nonuse of gas,
the atomic bomb emerges as far more
deadly than any gas bomb ever in
vented.
/. American public opinion at the mo-
ment is quick to insist that any or all
measures be taken to end the war
against the Japanese. But sober, sec
ond thought will come eventually and
the responsibility for using the atomic
bomb will weigh more and more heavily
as time goes on.
Another Ultimatum Seen.
The belief prevails that the United
States and Allies will perhaps issue
another ultimatum and will not use the
bomb extensively until absolutely neces-
Sary to force the submission Of the
Japanese. In other words, the United
States would rather be in the position
of employing the weapon as coercive
measure rather than for actual destruc-
ton.
AS matter of fact, the bomb Is so
hew and the test in this country was
30 recent that nobody knows just what
damage the first one did in Japan. It
is believed, for instance, that the jap
anese themselves do not know what
struck them and possibly all communi-
cation with the affected area and all
persons within it have been destroyed.
Hence the whole world is left to guess,
along with the Japanese, as to what the
power of the weapon really is, though
40 one doubts that 1t can do damage
beyond any ones Imagination.
The problem for the japanese military
leaders has been simplified, however, by
tthe atomic bomb. They have the choice
sof permitting the japanese Empire and
many Of her people to be killed for the
honor" of their country in q sort of
suicide spirit or of surrendering and
building the hope that some day the
Japanese Empire may be strong again
.,and perhaps invent its own atomic
lbombs as measure of self defense, If
not offense.
: Clearly the atomic bomb places upon
mankind greater responsibility than
i has ever faced to find means to use
,ason instead of force to settle inter-
3ational disputes and to curb the greed
ind selfishness which feeds the eco
tomic unrest out Of which so often has
Tome the urge to aggression.
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