Evening star., 1950-12-03
The H-Bomb and Our Survival

With particular emphasis on the possibility
of producing the still theoretical hydrogen bomb
the United States has now chosen 250,OO0-acre
site for the construction Of huge new facilities to
expand its development and output of nuclear
weapons. Given the kind of world we have, this
is a project that must be carried forward with
the greatest energy and utmost speed If we are
to maintain and increase our present presumed
lead in the grim and terribly deadly atomic race
that the Krenlin has forced upon us.
The site-selected on the basis of studies
carried out jointly by the Atomic Energy Com
mission and E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
is located close by the Savannah River in
West Central South Carolina The plants to be
situated there will be constructed and operated
for 81 fee by du Pont, which is uniquely
well qualified to do the Job because Of its his
tory-making role in the wartime development
of the A-bomb. Congress has already appropri
ated 600 for the project, but that is only
part of the picture, the President having Just
asked for an additional $1,050,0O0,000 to enable
the Acc to expand all phases of its production
efforts.
AS has been made clear by past White House
and Acc announcements one Of the main
objectives of the South Carolina undertaking
will be to try to produce the wherewithal and
know-how for the H-bomb. Such a weapon
as destructive as the super destructive A-bomb-
is known to be theoretically feasible though
scientists differ as to the ability of any country
to translate it from the abstract into the real.
Some regard 1t as an even-money bet. Others
think there Is only chance in 100 that 1t will
ever be produced. AS for the Atomic Energy Com
mission, the official opinion is that the thing is
In an area of 'iffiness" located somewhere be-
tween probable and possible" Nevertheless,
although 1t is thus maybe" proposition at this
stage, there Is full agreement among the experts
that it is sufficiently promising to be tried.
I Accordingly, in addition to their contrbu-
ton to our regular atomic program, the projected
new facilities presumably will be concentrated on
the problem Of producing and making effective
use of deuterium and tritium. The fusion Of the
nuclei Of either or both of these heavy
hydrogen" materials would release energy OF
unparalleled destructive force. But before they
could fuse, they would first have to be subjected
to heat roughly comparable to that existing in
the center OF the sun or generated by an atomic
explosion, which is caused by the fSSton Of
uranium and plutonium. The work of the South
Carolina enterprise will therefore be of fateful
Importance Although 1t will not involve the
direct manufacture of nuclear ornaments, it
will play vital part in determining whether the
H-bomb can be achieved by employing the
A-bomb as the trigger" or decorating mecha-
nism to bring the hydrogen nuclei together in
burst of unimaginably devastating power.
Although there are understandable hopes in
many hearts that man will find it scientifically
impossible to make such weapon, the funda-
mental law of self-preservation demands that
the United States spare no effort to produce it.
For the undertaking (even If it fails to achieve
an H-bonlb, it will still contribute significantly
to our overall atomic programl has been made
imperative by the men of the Kremlin. Bent on
world domination, dedicated to policy Of ag-
gression, blocking every attempt to- control
nuclear ornaments and establish decent peace,
they undoubtedly are doing their best to get
ahead of us in this field. To let them do so would
be to gamble with our very survival as Nation.