The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-09-14
FROM EDITORIAL COLUMNS


Early month came the the
of atomic energy is fact.
Without doubt this is the most important single event
in the recorded history of mankind
Why this true? 1t is true because it places unlimited
power resources at the disposal of man.
The energy locked in atom exceeds imagination. It's
voltage something like the national debt in terms of ten
dollar bills And the glass of water if expanded
to the size of grains of sand would furnish the material for
thick carpet of width the whole United States
from the Atlantic to the Pacific easpoonul of U235 the
Uranium used blast the Japanese city of Hiroshima
off the map would if properly placed blow hole in the
ground mile deep truck load of the stuff would destroy
whole nations The capacity of atomic for destruction
exceeds imagination.
capacity useful also exceeds Imagination
pound U235 the heat of 600 pounds
coal nearly gallons of gasoline at present used
The atomic energy locked in glass of water sufficient to
largest liner back and forth the Atlantic
several times.
Man accomplished work. produced goods and enjoyed
standard of living always in direct proportion the power
has had at his disposal Now power in unlimited
and useable in infinite This that
supply his needs of food clothing and shelter fraction
of the time it takes him. It will be question: not of
80 hour week. but of week of working day of eight
hours that the of coal and petroleum. except as
of chemicals will High tension lines and
stations will disappear When you get tractor air
plane you get bun for the life of the machine
Crops will be and harvested under controlled conditions
of temperature light and moisture Nature will have been
The potential of production both agricultural and
will be practically limitless
But the capacity of atomic energy for unlimited good
evenly balanced by it's capacity for unlimited evil
Religion, humantaransm the idea of the Brother-o Man
yet made enough for the safe entry of atomic
energy into mans affairs But it's here By whom shall
be controlled and the body Of control manufacture and
distribution. Whoever has that control has the immediate
of life and death the whole earth and everything
that be left socaed private enterprise to those
American corporations which have progress in their
and control the world! We might we'll turn
them highways sidewalks and the air breath
Even the government of the United States is not too safe
place for the control manufacture and distribution of this
product but it's the only place in sight.
Already feeling the impact of this discovery AL
ready the struggle for control has started The efforts
being play down the possibilities of atomic energy
for the possible effects on industrial values
and the stock market 1t may be the beginnings of effort
and bury the discovery effort foredoomed
failure 1t is also understandable that this playing down
might be lu the American People into frame of mind
where they would appreciate the Importance of this dis
and thus let their rights by default The financial
industrial rulers of America will not let atomic energy
escape from their clutches if they can help it.
We entering upon the Atomic Age. What the
future holds for But one thing certain
Man is either going to change the face of the Earth
e the Earth is not going to have face leftFarmers
Defender