Evening star., 1951-09-19
Senators Ask Views
OF Military Leaders
On Atomic Weapons
BY Jock Bell
AsSocioted Press Siuff Writer

Senators Bridges, Republican,
of New Hampshire and Ferguson,
Republican, of Michigan called on
military leaders today to tell Con-
gress whether all-out atomic
arming of United States forces is
feasible.
The two Republicans, members
of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, said in separate inter-
views that lawmakers ought to
know if it is possible to cut de-
fense costs by $50 billion yearly
| by substituting atomic for con-
Iventional weapons.
Senator Mcmahon, Democrat.
of Connecticut told the Senate
yesterday such saving would be
possible. He urged that the Army,
Navy and Air Force be armed pri-
marily with atomic weapons.
Materials Available.
He said the cheap. mass produc-
ton of A-bombs could become a
reality in three years, if a start
were made now. Asserting that
it would be possible to get the unit
cost of a bomb down to what the
country now pays for a tank
some $240. 0.000-Senator Mcmahon
added:
at is apparent now to all OF
us that there is supply Of raw
materials coming into being with
which We can fabricate atom
bombs by the thousands"
Senator Mcmahon. who heads
the Senate House Atomic Com
mittee. didn't go into detail, but
Representative Durham. Demo-
crat. of North Carolina, vice
chairman of the group, told a
reporter thorium is a substance
We can use to fall back upon if
we have to go into an all-out
atomic program"
Senator Ferguson said that
Senator McMahon's suggestion fo1
substituting atomic for other
weapons is something the Joint
Chiefs of Staff should talk tc
Congress about.
Would Query Joint Chiefs.
IF what he is saying is true,
I'm greatly surprised that the
facts haven't been presented by
the military authorities, the
Michigan Senator said. "The
Joint Chiefs of Staff should in
form the Appropriations Com
mittees about the matter"
/ Senator Bridges said that il
Senator McMahon's proposal is
workable, "the military men ought
to tell us So"
I'VE should not rush blindly
into huge appropriations for ordi-
nary weapons if more effective
striking power can be obtained a
far cheaper cost" he said.
l Senator Brewster, Republican
OF Maine, who has urged use oi
the atomic bomb in Korea, ap-
Iplauded Senator McMahon's pro-
Iposal, as did other lawmaker:
pleased at the prospect Of cuttine
defense costs.
But Chairman Russell of the
Senate Armed Services COMMITTEES
said the military will have to move
Slowly in supplanting existing for.
ices until we know a great deal
more about these weapons than We
do now"
Douglas Reluctant.
! Senator Douglas, Democrat, OF
Illinois, Marine Corps veteran OF
World War II fighting in the Pa.
clf1c, said he would be reluctant
to scrap existing forms of ou]
forces because I don't think thu
time ever will come when there |,
no need for the infantry"
I Senator Mcmahon spoke of tn,
possibility of more army special
lStS equipped to fire an atomi,
'Ishell wherever the enemy masse
his troops" of "nuclear-powerec
submarines almost unlimited il
range; nuclear-powered aircraf
carriers capable of launchin.
Iplanse which carry the atomic
bomb ship based guided mis-
slles with atomic warheads
atomic mines, and target-seekin,
torpedoes which deliver atomi,
Explosives"
! An atomic air force. for it
part, will seek out and DESTROY
with atomic weapons, the enemy
industrial sinews of war;" he said
1t will fire missiles with atomi
: 'Ipayloads. 1t will deliver the hy
; drogen bomb when that most ter
; rible of weapons is achieved"
! He said the atomic armed fore
ought to mean fewer men unde
arms" Senator Mcmahon sal,
that for every dollar spent upol
Iatonic defense we can save S
ion conventional defense" holdin,
Iout hope of saving $50 billion
year of present military costs.
The Sky Is Limit.
Il say that the sky is the limi
, on the number and variety o
, atomic weapons which the Unitet
, States can produce-all at a cost
| not of tens of billions per year
, but few billions" he said.
Senator Mcmahon said Russi;
now has "the capability of at
{ tacking 20 or 80 of our cite
5 with atomic bombs"
| The Connecticut Senator pro
' posed that the Nation spend S
lbillion a year for all-out mas
= production to equip a fully atomi
Army, Navy and Air Force.
f There are those who war;
p against viewing the atom as
magic weapon" he continued.
. agree. This is not silver bulle
5 which can deliver itself or other
, wise work military miracles.
But by cutting back upon tn