Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-21
REVIEW OF THE WEEK
Atomic Age Politics

I'VE may be likened TO two scorpions
in bottle, eoeh capable Of killing the
other. but only at the risk Of his own
life."
DIR. J. Robert oppenheimer.
The potentially lethal stalemate
in which the United States and
Russia find themselves, so wildly
pictured by DR.. Oppenheimer's
grisly smile. gave rise last week
to the most contentious yet the most
confused issue in the 1856 presi-
dental campaign.
With grave elaboration, Demo-
cratic candidate Adlai Stevenson
formalized the issue by devoting a
television address Monday night to
his proposal that the United States
take the initiative in ending the
testing of big hydrogen weapons.
President Eisenhower confirmed the
issue by branding his opponents
suggestion irresponsible. Since
then. partisans have lined up on
each side and the arguments have
clouded the atmosphere to the point
where there is no chance of
thorough clearing before election
day.
The issue is grim one. involving
dangers of which every voter is
aware and by which many voters
are bewildered and frightened. It's
effectiveness as a political issue
is still a questionable answer to
which may well make or break Mr..
StevenSon'S campaign.
Mr.. Stevenson originally urged
last April that the United States
stop its tests of hydrogen bombs
and ask other nations capable of
exploding hydrogen weapons-Rus-
STA and Great Britain-to do like
wise. If the other nations did not
go along, he said, we could then
reconsider" a resumption of tests.
He noted that we had means of
detecting an explosion anywhere in
the world of a big hydrogen bomb.
In the meantime, the United States
could continue research in the
atomic weapons field. (See story by
Earl VosS on Page A-25.)
His campaign opponents took
this to mean he was sponsoring a
purely unilateral action, and they
made the most of it on the stump.
In his speech last Monday, Mr..
Stevenson clarified his position this
way:
y ON opposed to uniIoterol dis
armament =. il ony country broke its
pledge we would know it and could :
promptly resume our own testing is
elected President, would count It the
first order Of business to follow up on the
opportunity presented now by the other
atomic powers ttoword muIti-loterol ces-
sotion Of H-bomb festsl. | would do this
by conference or BY eonsuItotion--ot
whichever leyel--in whichever pIcce--the
circumstances might suggest would be
most fruitful"
He gave four reasons for his view:
l. -. the H-bomb is already so
powerful that a single bomb could
destroy the largest city in the
world"
2. a.. the testing of an H-bomb
anywhere can be quickly detected"
3. g. these tests themselves
may cause the human race un-
measured damage"
4. Think what would happen if
another maniac, another Hitler.
had the hydrogen bomb. And
imagine what the consequences
would be if a dozen nations were
conducting hydrogen bomb tests
and wantonly thrusting radioactive
matter into the atmosphere.
Republicans expressed outrage
over the proposal. Mr.. Eisenhower
and Vice President Nixon held
firmly to the view that it would be
suicidal to stop the tests without
the protection of a fool-proof agree
ment permitting open, mutual in
spection-which the Russians have
refused to join in. Mr.. Eisenhower
has protested that the matter lis
manifestly not subject for detailed
public dissatisfaction obvious Sc
curity reasons "
Admiral Lewis L. Strauss, chair
man of the Atomic Energy Com
mission, on Friday backed up the
administration with a statement
saying that the tests must be con-
tinued to assure progress in new
weapons and to aid research into
the problem of civilian survival dur
ing an attack.
Admiral Strauss added that "the
survival of our own people and the