Evening star., 1949-12-10
Espionage Doubted
As Factor in Reds
A-Bomb Development
Writer Believes Russiun
Experts Worked on 1t
As Long as We
Bp Dorothy THOMPSON

By Dorothy Thompson
know no atomic scientist who
believes that Russian atomic de-
velopment has been seriously
aided by espionage. The main
facts being known, any country
with intelligent physicists. man
ayers and access to German tai
ents was bound to be able, to ef-
feet fission and obtain energy
sooner or later.
There is, furthermore, evidence
that the Russians have been seek
ing the solution of the atom prob
lem as long as we. Immediately
before the war, Russian scientific
journals, I am told, like those of
Europe and America, were full of
speculation about the atom and
OF reports on progress toward its
f1sSion.
Then, in 1904 a dead silence
obliterated all discussion, which
indicates not that the Russians
then abandoned the problem. but
that they were as aware as We Of
its military Importance. They
now have the advantage of all
that the Germans know, and the
Germans in 1944-45 knew enough,
probably, to have got the bomb
as soon as We, If Hitler and COM
pany had not hampered scientific
work by their own theories.
Senators now turn purple at
the thought that we might give
the secret" to Great Britain. Yet
Britain, which has access to the
main source OF uranium, is an
other country seriously short of
Industrial raw materials-without
q drop of native oil, and with her
coal mines running down-which
sooner or later will certainly de-
velop atomic energy for industrial
purposes with or without our CO.
operation.
May Return to Europe.
And one of these days we may
See our atomic scientists, many Of
whom came to us from Europe,
returning there. They will be
tempted by the greater opportun-
ity to use their talents freely and
fully for the end which 80 per
cent of them desire-the develop
ment of atomic energy for peace
full industrial and social purposes.
1t may be argued that, if West
ern scientists cannot work ef1ci-
emily in secrecy. neither can So
Wet scientists.
But the Russian mind is not as
conditioned as the Western to
freedom. The compensation to
the Russian scientist is being part
of an immensely dynamic expert
ment. The atomic scientist work
ing in America has no such COM
pensation. He certainly is not
free; he Is shadowed, suspected of
disloyalty. and afraid to open his
mouth. Nor does he see much
progress in the direction of the
constructive release Of atomic
energy. 81 a>y
Far from being dynamic. our
non-military policy is timid. III
Russian scientists make great dis
coveries they are likely to be put
to immediate use by the central.
izing industrial agency. II ours
make them. consideration must
be given to what they might dis
place. There can be other brakes
than secrecy.
Russia Seen Underrated.
There is a serious tendency to
underrate Russia. to treat her
half-contemptuously, as a coun-
try backward technically and po-
litically. Admitted that from any.
standpoint of Western culture
Russia is q barbarous despotisn1,
1t is nevertheless also true that
civilizations, barbarous from the
viewpoint of older, more advanced
and more effete cultures, have
frequently wiped them out of his
tory. There Is every reason to fear
the Russians. There is no rea-
son to hold them in nghthearted
contempt.
The Russian mind has great
qualities. Now, as always, It. hesi-
tates at no problem, however vast.
And II the Russian has neither
freedom nor personal security,
now, as always, he Is inspired with
. messianic and romantic zeal to
overtop everything that has yet
been accomplished anywhere on
this planet in all time. Such an
ideal is an immensely powerful
force when it is collectively har-
messed in a people, biologically
strong, unspoiled by luxury, and
remarkably Indifferent to suffer-
ing and even death.
The atomic revolution promises,
in the long run, to bring about
far more fundamental changes in
the life of man than the MARKHAM.
1t will be odd If, in this revolution,
the highest developed nation tech
nologically-our own-should fall
into second or third place. But
this is quite possible.
ReIeased by the Bell Syndicate, 1nc.)