Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-25
Let's Not Be Naive

Lei ) NOI De NQIVG
There is little reason for anybody to
be startled by Nikita KhruShchevs asser-
ton that he is quite sure" that Russia
in the relatively near future-"will have
a guided missile with hydrogen bomb
that can fall anywhere in the world"
This merely echoes a claim made
some weeks ago by Soviet Defense Min
lister Marshal Zhukov, and it is quite as
believable as similar American predictions
that the United States will be equipped
with the same sort of weapon in due
course. The only questions involved have
to do with precisely how long it will take
to bring the thing into being and whether
or not our own country will be first or
second in the race On the whole, there
still seems to be substantial ground for
the hope that the winner will not be
Russia.
However, although it deals primarily
with missile development rather than
with the development of H-bombS, Mr..
KhruShchev's statement should have a
SOLDERING effect on those Americans who
have been advocating that an immediate
end be put to our thermonuclear tests at
EnlWetok in the Pacific. Adlai Stevenson,
for example, might do well to restudy the
matter. Citing Atomic Energy Commits
Sioner Murray as an expert who agrees
with him, he has come out in favor of
such stoppage. But he does not seem
to have given enough consideration to
intensive Soviet activities in the same
field. Nor does he appear to have grasped
the real substance of Mr.. Murrays pro-
posal-a proposal which would stop ex-
perimenting with hydrogen destroyers
bigger than those we already have. but
which would at the same time increase
nuclear testing to enable us to produce
tens OF thousands" of greatly varied
very small" atomic weapons.
Actually, according to the Atomic
Energy Commission, the impending ex-
Fermentation at Eniwetok will involve
family of both atomic weapons and
hydrogen weapons substantially" less
powerful than the tremendous H-bomb
detonated out there in 1854. In other
words, the tests will not be directed to-
ward the production of deStroyers more
devastating than those we now have in
hand Instead, their objective will be
10 promote greater versatility in our
nuclear and thermonuclear arsenal
versatility of a sort that would equip us.
Tor instance, with the kind of missile
Warhead that Mr.. KhruShchev has talked
about. OF course, maybe we have such
thing already, but even if we do, further
testing will enable us to improve upon it
and on other types of these ornaments.
M0rn0VGr q hoe
another OF the important purposes" of
this testing will be to develop new and
perhaps revolutionary methods of de-
tense" against masS-deStruction attack.
In view of such factors as these. it
seems naive for any American to argue
That our country should stop it's A and H
tests forthwith. The thing we must all
remember is that the Soviet Union. while
applauding that argument, continues to
reject President EiSenhower'S 'open skies"
proposal and is Sparing no effort to beat
us in the nuclear and thermometer
race. And that is why no one can rea-
sonably dispute the Aces contention that
until the possibility of an atomic attack
is eliminated by workable international
plan for general disarmament" expert
mentation like that at Eniwetok must
go on.
There is no other safe course for our
country to follow For if we were to
abandon our tests in this field, if we were
to do nothing in it while the Russians
experimental to their hearts content.
we would almost surely lose whatever
superiority we may now have. And that
In turn could quickly lead to catastrophe
for ourselves and free men evervmhere