Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-28
Huge H-Bomb Blast
Still SET for April,
Capitol Sources Say
BY the Assoeioted Press

A new monster hydrogen ex-
plosion. possibly bigger than the
RUNAWAY" blast of March l. ap-
peared yesterday to be still on
the schedule for next month.
Except for the chance of minor
delays, these developments indi-
Gated the current series of tests
in the Pacific would continue as
planned despite reports of post
ponement or cancellation:
|. Representative Van zandt,
Republican, of Pennsylvania, a
member of the Senate-House
Atomic Energy Committee. an
nounced he is flying to Bikini
during the House Easter recess.
April 1926. to witness further
hydrogen weapons" tests.
2. Informed atomic committee
sources said no indication had
been given of deliberate post
ponement or cancellation" of the
tests. They added that adverse
weather or extra caution by SCI
entists might delay them a day
or-so.
Congressional sources have said
a second major H-blaSt was
originally scheduled for April %
and that it would be larger than
the first explosion, which was
three or four times more power
full than expected.
Mr.. Van Zandt said the March
blast was equal to IL or ID mil
lion tons of TNT-between 600
and 700 times as great as the
Hiroshima atomic bomb which
killed $4,000 persons.
Weather May Be Factor.
The Acc has announced that
a series of tests would be run.
The second of the series had
been expected by now, but APP
parently it has been delayed by
weather or other factors.
But Capitol Hill informants
regarded without basis a report
that the forthcoming major de-
tonation had been Cancelled as a
result of the uncontrolled" shot
earlier this month. There was no
comment from the Atomic
Energy Commission or the White
House.
Senator Johnson, Democrat,
OF Colorado. in radio interview.
suggested more caution might be
In order next time to prevent a
repetition OF the fall out" of
radioactive ash which hit a
japanese fishing party.
Wen have to be little more
careful about the site where the
experiment takes place and
about not making it possible for
any one to be injured" he said.
Go Ahead Despite Kinks.
But Senator Johnson said the
United States should go ahead
with H-bomb production even if
sll the kinks were still not ironed
out.
That's the way to iron them
out-go ahead and experiment
with them and work them out.
l don't think we dare do any
thing else" he declared.
We are supposed to have a
ruthless enemy. We're in a race
with that enemy to see who can
make the most destructive bomb
the quickest, so we don't dare to
let up"
Representative Holifeld. Dem
ocrat, of California. who returned
recently from Bikini, said he
had heard nothing of specula-
ton that unforeseen results of
the March l blast had prompted
postponement of subsequent
tests.
Different Types of Tests.
He told a reporter the sched-
ule called for "a series Of tests,
some bigger than others and not
all the same kind"
Atomic committee sources said,
1--WE have no basis to say there
has been any deliberate post
ponement" of the tests.
But. they added. We can see a
good possibility where a delay
of a day or two might be de-
cided. They added that minor
delays probably would not be
reported. but the commit+nn
certainly would hear of any
major change.
Weather and atmosphere con-
ditions must be ideal for nuclear
tests, so that advance schedules
are always flexible. Weather
conditions in the Pacific re-
portedly have been bad in recent
weeks.
1t was suggested that scientists
probably are using super
amount of caution" before setting
of another H-blaSt.
Improvement Shown