Evening star., 1955-10-05
The H-Bomb's Promise

IHG H-DOf4Q FTOmfSe
A layman's mind reels when it tries
to comprehend the magnitude of the wild
power unleashed by the fusion process of
a hydrogen bomb. Yet 1t is this power
which can be 1000 or more times as
tremendous as the preternatural force
of the atomic fssion bomb-that top
American scientists are now seeking to
tame and harness for Industrial and
other beneficent uses
win the effort. succeeda The answer
is anybody's guess. But the theoretical
promise is so great that the United States
is pursuing 1t most seriously, and with
steadily increasing vigor, at no fewer
than five different research centers. The
undertaking called Project Sherwood"
for no particular reason-has been going
on since 1851, There have been hints
about it for well over year past, but not
until now has the Atomic Energy Com
mission talked about it in some detail.
And the talk strongly suggests that the
scientists are reasonably certain that
they will ultimately be able to build
thermometer machine" to make
hydrogen-fusion power mans servant,
not his destroyer-the mightiest servant
Of its kind in history.
Thus, although he has stressed that
immensely difficult problems remain to
be solved and that the whole effort may
yet collapse in failure, Acc Chairman
Strauss-who first spoke of this work at
the Geneva atoms for-peace conference
in August-has declared himself to be an
optimist about the outlook. In his judg-
ment. even though qualified with a lot Of
Ifs" "buts" and "maybes," 1t is a fair
guess that Project Sherwood" may
achieve its objective 20 years from now.
Or success could come considerably
sooner than that If the researchers hit
upon basic new idea or breakthrough
OF the sort that made the H-bomb pos
Sible after many had ruled 1t out as un-
attainable. Meanwhile, as for the current
program to develop atomic industrial
power, Mr.. Strauss has assured private
enterprisers that they can continue to
invest heavily In 1t without fearing that
1t may suddenly become obsolete. After
all, Ordinary" A-plants still win have
function TO serve-for a good while at
least-even II and when the scientists
devise an effective "thermonuclear
machinen
The Iorg-range potentialities Of such
machine, Of course, can scarcely be
exaggerated. For its advent would pro-
vide men and nations everywhere with
enough energy to meet their needs for
all time, and the fuel for it-deuterium
or heavy hydrogen-would be readily
available in the sea. And with the fusion
process thus harnessed POSSIBLY for
direct conversion into electricity, without
involving turbines and the like), reyolu-
tionary progress could be made through
out the globe, and critical problems like
our own country's fast-dwindling water
supply could be solved with projects that
would call the oceans to our rescue.
Certainly, in world whose population is
increasing at rate Of more than 200
million every decade, and whose power
requirements are mounting proportion
ately, this is promise so bright that no
effort should be spared to bring about
It's fulfllment.
In short, like the A-bomb, the H
bomb-which heretofore has been re-
garded as good only for unbelievable
destruction-may yet lend itself to con-
troll Of kind that would convert its
power into wondrous blessing for the
whole Of mankind. Together with our
own, scientists in other countries are
working toward that goal, and II success
is realized, II thermonuclear war does
not vaporize all Of us in the meantime,
the world Of tomorrow viii have the
wherewithal for its brightest age since
the beginning Of time