Evening star., 1951-01-15
The Atom in Nevada

Although the Atomic Energy Commission
purposely has used very vague and guarded Ian
guage in announcing its plans for new testing
ground in Nevada, the development strongly sug-
gests that the Nation may be well on the way
toward making highly significant additional
progress in the field of A-weapons.
II so, nobody should be surprised by that fact,
for it is in the nature of this grim and revolu-
tionary enterprise that steady advances should be
scored over what has been achieved already.
Nucear science still is pretty much in its infancy.
AS far as it's military aspects are concerned (and
the same holds even truer for its peacetime posi-
bilities), little than the surface has as yet
been scratched
The Nevada site-the Air Forces Las Vegas
Bombing and Gunnery Range-covers an area of
about 5000 square miles, far from any civilian
population. 1t will be used periodically according
to the Acc for activities" that twill include ex-
perimental nucear detonations for the develop
ment OF atomic bombS-so-called -bombs-car-
ried out under controlled conditions" calculated
to guarantee both strict secrecy and safety to life
and limb.
Considering the area of the new testing
ground which will supplement the testing
ground at Eniwetok in the Pacific-there is no
basis for speculation that the site may be used for
the trial explosion of hydrogen bomb, if and
when one is produced. Yet it is reasonable to
assume that the Experimental nuclear detona-
tions" referred to by the Acc will differ i'm
portantly from those of Bikini and Eniwetok.
According to Chairman Gordon Dean of the
Atomic Energy Commission, much" is expected
OF them, and Senator Mcmahon, head of the joint
congressional committee on the atom, has said
that they promise to strengthen the Nations
security by Saving precious weeks in making GER
tain limited tests vital to weapons DEVELOPMENT"
1t is anybody'S guess of course, as to lust
what the Acc and people like Mr.. McNdahon
mean. They are not saying. Their language
is deliberately generalized for security reasons
Nevertheless, on the strength of hints dropped
in the past in authoritative quarters there seems
some justification for the belief that the prof.
ected experimental nuclear detonations" in
Nevada will involve new departure from tests
OF the sort that have been made at Bikini and
EnlWetok to increase the power of the A-borab.
In other words, it is not unreasonable to
imagine that the Nevada site may be the scene
OF experiments designed to develop new A
weapons for tactical as well as strategical pur-
poses. AS officially indicated, there has already
been significant progress along that line and
much more may be in the making For example
we may be moving toward the production of
guided missiles with atomic Warheads, or perhaps
the atomic artillery shell-an advance that could
revolutionize ground warfare involving big con-
centrated armies.
What takes place at the Nevada testing ground
may thus involve Developments of profound his
torical Importance for all mankind. AS to that
however, nobody can do more than speculate at
the moment The only thing we can be sure of
is that the atoms potentialities-for either good
or ev1l-are still very far from being fully
exploited.