Evening star., 1946-03-24
Scientists Welcome
Delay in Atomic Tests
To Fiji OUT Instruments
BY the Associated Press


NEW YORK, Mar. 23.-President
Truman's order delaying the Navy's
atom bomb tests fits with the wishes
of some of the atomic scientists,
who have been quietly but sharply
critical of the original timing as
being premature.
These scientists think there was
not sufficient time for thorough
preparation, before the original
dates, of instruments and disposals
to insure complete information as
to naval risks.
These scientists also believe naval
damage from an atomic bomb is
in different class from the devas-
tation to cities. They think the
naval damage will be less, perhaps
much less, and that the public will
get the idea that atomic bombs
are not so bad.
Says Navy Lacks Information.
At least a few of the atomic
scientists also believe that the navy
had not received enough early in
formation from the Army about
what was discovered in the New
Mexico atomic bomb explosion last
summer. instruments there record
ed much information that is a
military secret among the scientists
who have been leading the atomic
work. 1t is said that when the Navy
went to the Army, some informa-
ton about these tests was ordered
to be held out.
According to this report. scientists
were told what information they
could give the Navy and also what
details were not to be given.
Who may have given those in
structions is not revealed. Mai.
Gen. Leslie Groves, as head of the
Manhattan engineer district, has
often been blamed for all secrecy
restrictions, but his critics have
failed to note that he and his staff
have acted under an order issued by
President Truman, last July, to give
out no further information.
Instruments Not Ready.
Although Vice Admiral Blandy,
heading the Navy project. has been
specific and emphatic that not more
than few naval vessels are ex-
pected to be destroyed, reports have
been circulated nationally that the
guinea pig feet is to be annihilated.
Precisely because that is not the
plan some of the scientists have
doubted that enough testing instru-
ments can be developed in time.
Ships are expected to stand many
different degrees of the blast, the
heat and of the suction wave that
follows the blast and the radio
active rays that are a peril to per-
Sonnel.
Some of that information was OBJ
tanned by the land explosions, but
water effects are still untested. Cen
eral conditions, however, are not
secrets. Navy releases have pre-
dicted tidal wave of 100 feet be-
tween crest and trough. Scientific
estimates are smaller than this.
A tidal wave is a long swell,
a rise in the water. The first ex-
plosion at Bikini Atoll. high above
the lagoon, should push down the
water directly below in a saucer
shaped depression. That might
make a wave OF true tidal nature.
The second explosion, at the
waters surface, will strike a vastly
harder blow. 1t may well cause
cavitation, which means cup
shaped depression, reaching clear
to the bottom, and momentarily
leaving the bottom bare over
diameter that is anybodys guess,
but perhaps not much wider than
100 yards.
The thrush of water to fill the
depression would produce an up
spout at the center. This spout,
falling back, would produce some
turbulence in the lagoon that might
be of great interest to the naval
planners.