Evening star., 1949-09-25
Russio's Atomic Bomb

If the Presidents terSe announcement
of an atomic explosion in the Soviet Union
means, as it presumably does, that the
Russians have made and tested an atomic
bomb, that is fact which clearly indicates
that the world of tomorrow will be better
world or a world of incalculable evil.
No one has summed this up better than
DR.. Arthur H. Compton. Unless firm agree
ments for control of atomic weapons are
reached he said, the atomic race is on.
Wherever sanity prevails men will choose
the first alternative. But it is important
that we in this country should understand
and never forget that our freedom of
choice is severely limited.
One of the first reactions to the Presi-
dents announcement has been an ex-
cited clamor for renewed conferences with
Marshal Stain and redoubled efforts to
obtain an agreement for atomic control.
This is natural, and it goes without saying
that nothing should be left undone, no
approach left untried, which might lead
to a satisfactory agreement. But we
should not let our desire for an agreement
blind us to the fact that an Intellectual
agreement would be worse than no agree
ment. AS nation, we are inclined to put
too much faith in paper compacts, and to
forget how often they have been torn up
when an aggreSsor feels that the time has
come to strike
Hope has been expressed that the Rus
slams, having made bomb of their own
and witnessed with their own eyes its
destructive power, will now be ready to
sit down and come to terms. This may
be so, and If it is the world can look for
ward to better future. But there is
little in the record to support such
hope. It has been the Russians who have
rebuffed all efforts at international con-
troll OF the atom, predicated on effective
security measures. It has been the Rus
slams who have kept alive that fear of
war which has frustrated all efforts to,
achieve real peace. Perhaps the time
is ripe for change of heart But the
minimum condition must be an agreement
carrying with it provision for international
inspection and control of all atomic devel-
opment, including Russia's. Anything less
will be not only useless, but infinitely
dangerous.
The alternative is grim one. If a
satisfactory agreement cannot be reached
then, as DR.. Compton says, the atomic
race is on.
This means that within very short
time-by the end of 1882 according to the
report of the Presidents Air Policy Com
mission-the Russians probably will be
producing atomic weapons in quantity.
And If it comes to that the rest of our
lives, and our childrens lives, will be
passed under the continuing threat of
sudden, devastating attack, - g..
Dismaying as the prospect is, there is no
escape from it, In the absence of a trust
worthy agreement, we must resolve to do
the things that can be done In all deal
lngs with the Russians we must be scru-
pulously fair We must strengthen our
natural allies as speedily as possible. Our
defenSeS, so far as there can be any de-
tense, especially our outlying bases and
radar warning systems, must be put in
readiness. At all costs-and this must be
brought home to our public men who would
economize at the expense of security-we
must strive to maintain our margin of
superiority in atomic weapons and the in
struments for their EMPLOYMENT Finallv
we must never forget the clear teaching
OF history that weakness invites attack
and that strength discourages it. If events
establish the inevitability of an atomic
race, let us see to it that we are not
outdistanced.