The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-08
Industry
 And Atoms
(Continued from Page D

Actually, the nations top indus trialists were not let in on the secret of the atom smashing developments until news of the atomic bomb came out this week. Such giants of tn- dustry as Alfred P. Sloan, chairman of General Motors Corp, asked to be excused from making any exact statements until further informa- ton was available outside military production circles.
 Far Distant Most agree with Dr. w. A. Gin- bons, research director of U. s. Ruo- Der company that flor the genera ton of large quantities of power and to overcome the geographical limitations in obtaining power atomic energy seems to be the an- swer." But they did not think the day of atomic power would come soon.
 One stumbling block is the cost. It was pointed out that in wartime only can a $2,000, 100000 experi- mental cost such as that on the atomic bomb be borne. Fully to re- alize the vast potentials of atomic energy, the cost will have to be such as to make it profitable to substitute the new for the old.
 What the cost will be for atom energy is only a guess" Dr. Branin stated, adding that certainly 1t will be tremendous for many years judging from the $2,000, ,000, 900 now invested in it's initial development only" Revolutionary The weekly bulletin of the An thracite Institute, whose members control $400, 0,OOo, 900 worth of mines commented:
 "lt has been stated that coa could produce over 5000 900 times as much energy if used chemically instead of in combustion. Obvious ly this would revolutionize the gen. eration of heat and power, since at this ratio, one-sixth of an ounct of coal would equal the anr1ua average fuel requirements of aI average home, and twenty ton would replace current annual an thracite production.
 However, there are three unan' swered questions which lead to thu prediction that 1t will be man. years before the breakers are tor1 down to make room for atomic fac | tories.
 '"The first is, can atomic energ. be controlled and directed? Tn
 second is that uranium and tn other materials now reportedly be
 ing used all have the heaviest. mos
 complex atoms which are relativel.
 unstable and comparatively easy t.
 split. Carbon, on the other hand
 has one of the lightest, least com
 plex atoms, which would indicat
 much greater stability. The thirt
 all-important question Is how mucl | 1t would cost to process a piece O coal. or. in fact, any other materia
 into form that made it capable O heating house."
 Perfect Potentiality There was little tendency in in dustry, however to belittle the ulti mate effects of atomic power. T was recalled that Brig. Gen. Davit Sarnoff, president of the Radio Cor poration of America, said in speech to the Association of Com merce in Chicago Jan. 30, 1941, tha "the most important event. of "tha isolation of the atomic omponent O the element uranium, known as D. 235."
 He predicted then that when thu latent energy of the atom. finall. becomes universally available. 1t vii run factories; light, heat and re freigerated homes; furnish power fol everything from ocean liners t' | pocket radio transmitters and re ceivers."
 Sarnoff in that address also pre-. dicted that atomic power would ait solving many of the oldest need of mankind" as well as problem cf deprivation, cause of economi'