Evening star., 1946-03-26
Demand to Give Awuy
Atom Secrets ignored
Writer Says Claim Russia Will
Have Data Soon Is in Error
By David Laurence


By David Laurence
Much has been noted recently about
spy rings seeking information about the
atomic bomb but little suspicion has
been aroused apparently by the peculiar
outcry which arises every now and then
from various quarters inside and out
side the United States demanding that
the secret be given up
The con1monest argument Is that the
secret will be obtained by Russia any
way in five years. Russian dispatches
try hard to give the impression that
the Soviet already has the secret. Even
in America many well-intentioned per-
sons with scientific background, whose
patriotism is not In the least open to
question, contend that the Russians in
evitably will have the secret and hence
1t should be shared with them now.
But the oldest part of the contro-
verSy Is the glib way that various folks
talk about the atomic bomb as If they
really knew the secret themselves. How
many of the persons who declare that
1Nuoold WILL nave LllC ScCIcL LII Uu6 LlIHP,
know what the secret is or what basis
there is for the assumption that other
nations ever will obtain it through their
own experiments?
Groves Sees No Danger.
Perhaps the most authoritative and
significant information available on the
subject Is the statement OF Mai. Gen.
Leslie r. Groves, director of the atomic
project, who In the last few days In a
press conference at Los Angeles de-
clared the secret was safe from any spy
ring. He said
THE bomb project is a little like
giant jigsaw puzzle with 100, 900 pieces.
A chance betrayal by one of our SCI
entists might reveal five or ten >pieces
out of the 100000 but that would mean
almost nothing"
Here is one of the few men in America
who really knows all about the atomic
bomb. Indeed it is not known how many
do know the entire secret. That in IT.
self Is a secret as well as the identity
of the persons who have all the knowl-
edge.
A distinction has to be drawn between
atomic energy as such and the atomic
bomb itself. Undoubtedly the secrets of
atomic energy will be known to all SCI
entists in a relatively short time, but
this is far different thing from know
ing how to use it in an atomic bomb
or how to drop or detonate one of those
horohS u,ithoIIt kjIIipu rorcone ybo
carry 1t or how to detonate it in such
a way that it will be destructive, as was
the case at Hiroshima.
Idea Studied for Decades.
For decades atomic energy has been
| studied and for decades the idea of an
atomic bomb has been discussed by mill
tary scientists, but not until last year.
when the United States completed the
most extensive experimental project the
world has ever known, did scientists
learn for the first time something about
how the theory can turn out IN actual
practice. Further experiments are not
only costly but could be very risky 70
the experimenters.
The atomic bomb Is not likely TO be
turned over to any foreign government,
nor is it likely to be given to the United
Nations, despite the proposals toward
that end. History shows that the secrets
Of military weapons are kept very well
even by democracies and the giving up
of the atomic bomb secret IN its entirety
| is already hedged about with conditions
which it is very unlikely will ever be met
such as international inspection.
The Russians do not even allow news
papermen from other nations to come
and go at will in their country, though
| Russian newspapermen without limit
can come into America. The Govern
ment here does not make public the
number of outright refusals which have
been received from Moscow for the ad-
mission of students, scholars, scientists
and similar personnel when seeking en-
trance for cultural reasons only. Hence
it seems improbable that Russia will
ever be willing to satisfy the requirement
that rigid inspection by outside govern
ments be allowed at all times to see what
is being done with the atomic bomb. how
many are being manufactured and fer
what purposes
Won't Meet Conditions.
The United States has offered to turn
over the secret under specified condi-
tions. but 1t is a foregone conclusion
that these will not be met-at least not
so long as Russia or any other country
thinks it can develop the bomb of It's
own accord. Such experimentation may
take generations of time
Until the Russian government ceases
to be totalitarian government and be-
comes subject to the popular will to the
extent that war making is not left In
the hands of single man or clique, there
Is little chance that any military secrets
will ever be shared by this country with
that type of government.
Propagandlsts no doubt will agitat
for the release of the secret-and the
demand will come largely from those
left wingerS who are sympathetic with
the totalitarian government at Moscow.
1t may mislead well-meaning persons
who think appeasement of Russian to-
talitarianism is desirable, but it will not
affect Congress. which will never vote
to surrender the atomic bomb secret 30
long as security" Is involved.
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Coneomitont of Power
From the Muncie Cnd) Press.