Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-08
By the Associated Press

Congressional Atomic Energy
Committee says he knows of
nothing sinister in the fact that
high officials debated for
months before deciding to press
work on the hydrogen bomb. a
weapon the Government says is
due for greatly increased pro-
duction."
Mr.. Cole, New York Repub-
lican, recalled last night that
full-scale work on the weapon
was not decided upon until four
months after Russia's first ex-
plosion in 1949 of an atomic
bomb of the conventional type.
This fact is not of itself sin
ister," he added. NOR does it
imply that those who opposed
the Presidents final decision
were motivated by a desire to
lessen our military strength"
Mr.. Cole conceded that events
have proved he was wrong in
opposing the decision to go
ahead with the super bomb.
Report of Delay Secuted.
Other present and former Off
Gals said they had no knowledge
of any 18-month delay in the
H-bomb project mentioned by
Senator Mccarthy. Republican.
of Wisconsin two days ago.
Senator Mccarthy said there
was a deliberate delay. and he
asked: "If there were no Com
munists in our government. why
did we delay?" =
President Eisenhower told his
news conference yesterday he
has never heard of such delay.
Former President Truman.
who made the decision to pro-
coed with the H-bomb in early
1850, said in Kansas City. the
order was issued as soon as the
scientists were ready to go to
work" The first announced
hydrogen explosion took place
"a months later. in November
1852.
Sumner T. Pike, a member of
the Atomic Energy Commission
at the time, said in Augusta,
Me-, he didn't know what Sen
ator Mccarthy was talking about
and he added of the Senator: Il
suppose as he frequently does he
is just throwing mud and hop
ing some of it will stick" Mr..
Pike is a Republican.
Boost in Nuclear Army.
As for the current status OF
the H-bomb, Acc Chairman
Lewis L. Strauss told a Senate
Appropriations subcomm i t t e e
yesterday that greatly increased
production of thermonuclear
weapons"-those popularity called
hydrogen bombs-account for
increased spending in the next
fiscal year.
Operating costs will rise by
$427 million dollars to $780,
100000, Mr.. Strauss said.
Acc announced yesterday the
. third test of the current Pa
ciflc series, and Mr.. Strauss
said information of great i'm
portance to national defense
continues to be derived" The
first two series blasts were de-
scribed as thermanuclear. Pre-
sumably this one was too.
Acc announcement came soon
after Gen. Eisenhower told his
news conference there is no mil
itary requirement for building
an H-bomb any bigger than the
United States already has pro-
duced. The implication was OBJ
viouS that the bombs being test
ed in the. Pacific are powerful
enough to wipe out the biggest
complex of factories. rail yards
or other possible military target
area.
Representative Cole did not
mention Senator Mccarthy in
his statement, but it obviously
was prompted by the Senator'S
broadcast.
Slow Down After War.
H-bomb development, first ex-
plored in A1942. was affected by
the general showdown" after
World War II but a small re-
search program" was MAIN
tanned, Mr.. Cole said.
The Soviet A-bomb explosion
of September %. 1949, prompted
the first major consideration
for developing H-weapons. he
said, ana created a top level de-
bate that lasted until MIR. Tru-
man ordered about production
on January 81. 1850.
Mr.. Cole said a plan for large
scale and vigorous" development
Of the H-bomb was opposed by