Detroit evening times., 1945-11-07
POLITICAL
PARADE
-By George
RothweH Brown

UNCERTAINTY in Congress
- over the possible consequent
ces-the absolutely unpredict-
able consequences of the
navy's proposed test of the
atomic bomb on naval ships at
sea, has reached the point
where grave fears are now
entertained.
Nobody can conceive of the
possible effect of the intense
cosmic energy such as was re-
leased at Hiroshima and Ma
gasaki, being set free in the
ocean.
If such immeaSureable heat
as liquified those two Japanese
cities were applied to the sea. 1t
is believed not impossible that
il might bring the ocean water
10 boiling point for a radius of
a thousand miles, producing i'm
menSe volumes of steam, which
would kill the crews of all
vessels caught within the area.
THE concern which many at
L the capitol are beginning TO
evincc is reflected in a letter
which K. L. Bartlett, the dele
gate in Congress from Alaska,
has written to Secretary of the
Navy Forrestal. 1t is worth
consideration.
THE need for a more con-
elusive answer than now exists
I'm the matter of the possible
effect of the atomic bomb In
naval warfare" he wrote, has
apparently led to the deter
mination to drop a bomb or
bombs upon ships at sea.
"It is intended, so far as j
can learn, to to this somewhere
i'm the Pacific. / must confess
entertaining certain amount
of apprehension as tn what
might occur II this experiment
Is carried out In the north
Pacific.
ENIO ONE knows what will
~ occur when an o IN c
bomb Is dropped In water. 1t
may be that the effects will be
tremendously more devastating
than on land and chain of
events might easily be set up
which might be catastrophe.
"In the belief that too much
care cannot be exercised i'm all
this, I desire to express the ur-
gent hope that this contem-
plated bombing not be carried
on i'm the north Pacific,
There are several reasons for
this. As you know, the greatest
resources I'm Alaska's economy
Il its fishery. Alaska produces
more salmon than any other
place I'm the world.
From the streams the salmon
60 out from Alaska's shores to
remain for varying periods OF
time according to the Jpecies.
mo one knows where they
go, or, In fact knows anything
about their existence from the
time they set out until they re-
turn to spawn.
ut Is improbable, but also
possible, that the salmon are
schoOled together out In the
ocean reaches and that the
dropping of a single atomic
bomb might AT ONE STROKE
do away with the fishery which
pro duces In the amount of
around $50, ,000,0 900 annually.
Likewise, great and lasting
damage might be done to other
kinds of fish which live i'm these
northern waters.
s0NHE bomb ought not TO be
l. dropped, in my judgment,
anywhere In the vicinity Of the
migratory seal herd, which, as
you know, each winter goes to
the coast OF CalifOrnia or even
farther south and in the sum-
mer returns TO the Pribilof
Islands.
'It might well be that forces
would be set I'm motion by the
dropping Of the bomb which
would result i'm tidal waves and
III the experiment were carried
out In the north Pacific grave
danger might be done In Alaska. ("
Mr.. Bartlett concluded his let
ter TO Secretary Forrestal with
the earnest request that the en-
tire north Pacific be ruled out
as an area for the proposed ex-
pertinent.
The wrifer of this column ae-
knoWiedges Wifh appreciation
many letters from corresPon-
dents, and regrets that lack OF
time makes it impossible for him
to reply to them personally.
- Vote Before o Tonight. -
knowledge Test
BY DIR. SABINA CONNOLLY
Give yourself 4 for each Of the first Ave
questions and 8 for the last question.
score. $40, brilliant; T-s, bright: A-s,
zveraEe; Oh. dull.
1Enrland WAS once called