Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-16
What Will Living Be Like
When Atom Is Harnessed?

More DRINKS, more suicides, more
crime and immortality. more divorces
Gust from general desire to kill the
monotony).
Or-new demands for music, litera-
ture, art and religion.
Mr.. Douglass foresees a 30-hour work
week in order to spread the remaining
work around among millions thrown out
of jobs in coal, petroleum and power
industries.
Labor leaders say that if and when
atomic power comes it will bring about
increased production of many new prod
ucts and will mean more jobs for Ameri-
can labor
Time on Our Hands
Nevertheless, those I interviewed say
we cannot ignore the possibility of hav-
ing lot of extra time on our hands.
If man is going to keep out of trouble,
they say, we've got to start planning
how he can put those idle hours to use
full pursuits.
ITS a question" DR.. Douglass says,
as to whether we're going to have
enough inner ethical resources to keep
character in society when we no longer
have scarcity and drudgery and no
longer have to struggle.
ITO equip generation of men with
habits of reasonableness and under
standing. necessary to make brother
hood the decisive factor in our global
community, is the educators contem-
porary task"
DR.. L. c. Marshall, professor of
political economy at American Univer-
sity, opens another line of thought.
He says that possibilities for mans
own progress as a man are more
startling than his increasingly awesome
scientific achievements.
There have been only a small number
of great periods in the history of the
Harvesting of natures energy, DR..
Marshall points out.
Progress of Mankind
Man used his own muscles for the
first million years.
About $4,000 years ago he began
demonstrating animals and using their
muscles. Then he captured the wind
in sails and falling water in water
wheels.
In the 1780S he captured the expan-
sive power of gases, particularly steam.
A century later, in the 1905, he added
electricity and internal combustion
engines-more amazing changes is his
practical living than in the previous
10000 years.
The 1940s brought jet propulsion,
radar, the Harvesting of atomic energy.
IF we can move from muscles to
atomic energy, mans prospects for
acknowledgment are even more STAR
thing"
There are many who agree that gov
eminent has got to control and regulate
the beverage for the benefit of the
people, They hold that it is specifically
a job for engineers and social scientists.
DR.. S. Mckee Rosen, principal admin
istrative analyst, Bureau of the Budget.
says:
1.-THE atomic bomb illustrates wildly
the fact that while we have made vast
strides in technical invention, we have
not kept abreast in social invention-in
devising administration, public and pri!
vate, for controlling the impact of TECH
nology upon our whole economy and
upon the world"
We do not want moratorium on
technical invention, DR.. Rosen explains,
but we need to watch it with political
and economic arrangements He Is
conducting course on chronological
change and administration" at Amer.
lean this fall
I'VE are slow in getting on top of tbs
job" DR.. Rosen says
THE scientist, as rule, is unaware
of the social consequences of his dis
coveries we need people who viii
study and give their attention to the
effects of machines which are shaping
our whole destiny"
Proposals have been made for setting
up commission to administer atomic
energy
DR.. Rosen says 1t is imperative that
full representation of social scientists
sit on any such board.
unless and until the use of techs
nology is subordinated to constructive
and socially desirable ends" he says,
"the prospects for society in the future
remain dim and uncertain.
Eve need to get ready for the atomic
age in q hurry"