Evening star., 1952-11-18
Our Arsenal and the H-Bomb

Our Arsenal and the H-Bomb
There can be little doubt that the United
States, If 1t has not fabricated one or more al
ready, is moving fast toward the production of
the hydrogen bomb-the So-called "heL bomb"
This fact, probably the grmmest and most por-
tentous in the long history Of man and his self
immolating addiction to warfare, is implicit in
the brief and guarded statement that has just
been issued by Chairman Gordon Dean of the
Atomic Energy Commission.
For the statement-announcing the conclu-
sion of the third and latest series of super-secret
tests at Eniwetok Atoll in the far Pacific-openly
declares that the tests "included experiments
contributing to thermonuclear weapons re-
search" It declares further that the partici-
pating scientists "have expressed satisfaction
with the results'-satisfaction/ that is, with the
progress being made toward the development of
H-bombs, which is what the Acc has in mind
when it speaks of "thermonuclear weapons"
OF course, it would be mistake to assume
with any cocksureness that the Nations progress
in this field has reached the stage of actual pro-
duction. After all, in May of 1851, in its state
ment on the second series of Eniwetok tests
cooperation Greenhouse"), the Acc used exactly
the same words as Mr.. Dean has just used
namely, that the tests Included experiments
contributing to thermonuclear weapons re-
search" Moreover, few weeks later, at
Pentagon press conference, Mr. Dean took pains
to emphasize that it would be wrong to interpret
that particular phrase official circumlocu-
tion meaning that I'VE either have hydrogen
bomb, have tested a.hydrogen bomb, or are on
the verge of producing hydrogen bomb"
Such reservations to one side, however, the
fact remains that more than year has passed
since the Aces cautious comment on Operation
Greenhouse" Meanwhile, in South Carolina and
elsewhere, the Nation has gone ahead with a vast
program of atomic expansion (begun in 1950)
that places heavy emphasis on facilities for H
bomb production. Meanwhile, too, there have
been the new tests at Eniwetok, and eyewitness"
accounts of those teStS-even allowing for exag-
geration or the mistakes of distant and inexpert
observation-certainly indicate that an explosive
force much bigger and much deadlier than an
ordinary" A-weapon was involved Accordingly,
everything considered it does not seem unrea-
Sonable to suspect that the United States may
now be ION the verge"-may in fact be over the
verge-of placing the hydrogen or thermonuclear
destroyer in It's arsenal.
If this is so, then the significance of the event
can hardly be exaggerated. For the H-bomb,
when and if we have it, will make the super
deadly A-bomb-which in some of its present
forms is several times more powerful than the
type that shattered Hiroshima and NagaSaki-
seem weak by comparison. It will be destroyer
whose destroying heart will be made up Of
deuterium or tritium or a mixture of both The
fusion of the nuclei of these "heavy- hydrogen"
materials will release energy of indescribable
devastating force, the fusion being brought about
by the tremendous heat of an exploding atomic
weapon. In effect, the latter-whoSe fury is
unleashed by the fssion or splitting of uranium
or plutonium nuclei-will be merely the "trig-
ger" or decorating device of the terrible new
annihilator
Stated another way, the H-bomb-which
conceivably can be at least 1000 times as deadly
as our deadliest A-bomb-will represent as revo-
lutionary and ghastly an advance over atomic
weapons as atomic weapons represent over con-
ventional explosives. To have such things in our
arsenal, or in the Soviet arsenal, will be equiva
lent to having available huge chunks of the sun,
with each chunk enough in itself to wipe out
erase obliterate-literally-th biggest city on
the face of the earth. In sum, assuming that
thermonuclear weapons become fairly plentiful
reality-as seems almost certain-mankind will
have within reach all that is needed for near
total suicide.
Yet, bleak as this prospect may be, the
United States must go forward with its H-bomb
efforts for the safety of both itself and the free
world as whole. It must do so as long as the
Soviet Union-which is striving nightly to catch
up with us-threatens aggression, refuses to join
in effective international control of weapons Of
mass destruction, and thus forces us to engage
in Jhistorys most fearsome ornaments race. It is
q race in which the fate of man himself Is at
stake, and we must do everything possible to keep
well ahead in it. Given that, then perhaps the
Kremlin will be persuaded in due course to agree
to decent and enduring peace for an age in
which war has reached the last limits Of human
endurance.
Making 1t Easier for Voters
It should be part of the democratic process