Evening star., 1945-10-08
Letters to The Star
Mr.. Pinchot Argues for Control
of Bomb by the People

To the Editor OF The STAR
The atomic bomb brought us quick
victory over the treacherous Japs. 1t
may we'll have saved the lives OF a mil
lion American boys. We can be deeply
thankful for that.
But that is not the end Of the story,
The scientific knowledge which produced
the atomic bomb will make 1t possible In
time also to use this greatest Of all
mechanical powers in peace.
When that day comes, the chances are
that atomic power will operate our cars,
run our factories. drive our ships, and
in general do what gasoline and steam
and water power are doing for us now,
and do it far cheaper and better.
When that day comes, the use OF
atomic power will be, next to the con-
servation of natural resources, the most
important material problem of our lives
And a monopoly of that power would
make the worst monopolies we have now
seem like public benefactors in COM
parison.
Such a monopoly would hold the whip
hand in banking and manufacturing; in
producing and marketing; III housing
and lighting; in transportation, tele-
graph and telephone; in the press and
radio and in politics and government.
In the face of this gigantic monopoly,
labor and capital would be helpless.
Everything we eat, or use, or wear would
be subject to its control, and the cost Of
Ji,i,,r ka r,tl,o tauc he
chose to make it.
A monopoly of the greatest power in
the world would mean the end of free
enterprise, the end of liberty. The men
who held 1t would be absolute masters
of all the rest Of us, and the common
man wouldn't have chance.
Is there danger of such monopoly? =?
I assure you that thereis. The men who
have worked so hard to monopolize so
many other necessities of life will not
fail to try for the greatest monopoly OF
all. Beyond a doubt, they are laying
their plans already.
For that tremendous threat there Is
Just one defense. And that defense must
be applied in time.
We, the people of America, have de-
veloped atomic power We have paid
two billion dollars to get it. Now that
we have it. let us keep it. Let us keep
it and use it for the good OF the many
instead Of allowing it to be controlled,
through patents or otherwise, for the
private profit of the few.
AS the greatest and most dangerous of
all weapons Of war, atomic power in
America is now, and must continue to
be, completely controlled through our
Government by us, the people of the
United States. As the greatest, the
most useful and also the most danger
Gus of all the powers OF peace, atomic
power must be controlled completely
by the people and for the people.
There is no time to waste. We must
take, and take now, every step that will
help to keep the greatest mechanical
blessing Of all time permanently in the
hands Of the people, for the good of the
people. This Is great human question
and not merely question Of dollars
and cents.
Atomic power in peace, when 1t comes
must be available to all Of us on terms
fair to all Of US. AS step to that end
the people OF the United States-the
workers, the farmers and the rest OF US
should be fully and fairly represented
on the proposed control commission by
men of free and open mind, vigorously
determined to protect and preserve the
common interest.
Public control OF the use OF atomic
power for daily living is hardly less vita
than public control OF it for killing.
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