Evening star., 1947-06-02

the same mistake as last time O
taking on somebody else first ane
allowing us to prepare.
"The attack would be primaril,
at the great cities and would caus,
great destruction both to tn,
physical structures and the people
It might involve atomic bombs, ra'
dioactive materials, biological war
fare, and crop-destroying chemicals
The atomic bomb would probabl.
be used against cities in preference
to military targets.
1--WE would have chaos, with com.
munications disrupted, millions o1
people sick, wounded and dying
civil disorder, and sabatoge. Tht
initial bombing attack would likely
be followed by airborne troops
There is also the possibility of long.
range submarines popping up Off
shore and directing guided missiles
to targets on this content"
Possible Destruction Described.
A top scientific authority, the re-
port said, told the commission that
the damage the Allies inflicted upon
Germany in three and one-hal1
years of saturation bombing might
be accomplished overnight in a fu-
ture war.
The commission declared 1t was
entirely possible that the first day OF
attack would result in the Gripping
or destruction of a dozen of our
largest cities, the elimination of our
most essential production plants
and large-scale damage to utilities,
railroads, ports and communica-
tions systems.
Declaring that trained men would
be needed in every part of the coun-
try to meet disorder, sabotage and
even invasion, the commission en-
phasized the Importance Of trained
home defense forces. It described
a program like that of the Office
of Civilian Defense in World War
II as "criminally inadequate" for
the probabilities Of future war.
More than once, the commission
expressed its hopes for the United
Nations and for international con-
troll Of atomic energy. On the other
hand, it contended that 'fn the
present state of world unrest, we
must be realistic enough to recognize
that even the ratification of con-
vention would not guarantee ouI
security against atomic attack"
Need Is Seen Evident.
Pointing out that a years efforts
to establish an effective interna-
tional body for control of atomic
energy have been unsuccessful, the
committee added:
Even worse, the reasons for this
failure are such as to suggest the
need for an intensified national
security program as prudent ma
tional insurance.
so long as any great nation has
power to stop by veto any proposed
United Nations action against il
as an aggressor, the United Nations
cannot act to protect against such
aggression. So long as there is nc
operating system of inspection
whereby the United Nations can
thoroughly check on the atomic
energy activities of every nation,
there is no guaranty that prepara-
tions for atomic war are not going
on in secret, and there can be nc
certain security and no absence OF
suspicion and fear"
Signers of the report, in addition
to DR.. Compton, were Joseph E
Davies, former Ambassador to Rus
sia; Harold w. Dodds. president OF
Princeton University; Truman K
Gibson jr., Chicago lawyer and for
mer civilian aide to the Secretary
of War; the Rev. DR.. Edmund A
Walsh, vice president of Georgetown
University; Anna M. Rosenberg, in
dustrial relations consultant; Judge
Samuel I. Rosenman. former special
counsel to the President; Daniel A
Polling, editor of The Christian Her
aid, and Charles E. Wilson, presi.
dent OF the General. Electric Co.
The list of witnesses carried in an
appendix to the report discloses that
the commission drew its conclusions
after hearing from representatives
Of education, labor, the churches
agriculture, women's and veterans
groups, business and youth organi-
cations as well as Government