Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-05
By JEROME II. SPINGARN

By JEROME H. SPINGARN
Since the first, test explosions of
hydrogen bombs. their by-product.
radioactive fall-out, has been q
violently debated international is
sue. This debate began even be-
fore the public announcement Of
the first H-bomb tests. A Japanese
fishing trawler. the Fortunate
Dragon. was well within the danger
area of the first blast. Its cargo of
fish was contaminated and the crew
suffered radiation injuries.
The radioactive dust which set
tied on the Fortunate Dragon pro-
vided clues which enabled Japanese
scientists to publish an analysis of
the hydrogen bomb and its man.
ufacture before these details were
revealed by the United States Gov
eminent. It also introduced the fall
out problem before the public had
quite assimilated the fact of the
new weapon itself.
Japan, the victim of the atom
bomb, thus became also the first
victim of the hydrogen bomb. The
drama of this situation has caused
an intense feeling about nuclear
tests among the japanese.
Japan lies between the testing
areas Of the West and the East. AS
a result. according to DR.. c. Ishii.
director Of the Tokyo Meteorologi-
cal Research Institute, there are air
masses lowering high over Japan
containing concentrations of radio
activity as large as one-third of the
maximum safe level. DIR. S. Ohta
of the Central Meteorological So
ciety has issued similar warnings
with regard to rainfall on Japan.
The threat of hydrogen bomb
warfare is understood abstractly
throughout the world. To the
Japanese, however. nuclear weap-
ons and their effects are q part
of daily recollection.
Jopon's Pleos
The incident Of the Fortunate
Dragon, then. triggered q long
series Of japanese diplomatic rep
reservations in the U. N. and in
the capitals Of the world. On Feb
ruary 9, 1856, the japanese Diet
adopted q unanimous resolution
calling on Great Britain, the USSR,
France and the United States to
stop all tests of thermometer
explosions. Recently Japan pro-
tested the British plans for thermo-
nuclear tests in the Pacific on
Christmas Islands. A group Of 100
Japanese physicists. including No
bel Prize winner H. Yukawa, sent
an appeal to leading British SCI
entists to stop the tests. The jap
anese public has even considered
sending a suicide sit-down feet"
into the test area in an effort to
force Britain to stop the testS-a
move which has its counterpart in
England.
The hostility of the smaller ma
tons to the weapons tests, most
dramatically presented by Japan.
Is not entirely due to concern about
the radioactive fallout, of course.
They are also worried about the
development of a military poten-
tial which increases the already
preponderant military strength of
the larger powers in a weapons
system which much smaller nations
are at present unable to build into
their defense organizations.
The concern of the smaller coun-
tries about atomic fallout Is re-
vealed in numerous United Nations
debates. The United States and the
other Western powers have taken
the position that q ban on nuclear
tests would operate to the disad-
vantage Of the West because it Is
not possible to monitor tests with
complete efficiency. They say that
a ban against tests would be effec-
tive against the West but not
against the USSR and its satellites.
This is due to the freer flow Of
information in democratic coun-
tries and also to the fact that the
West necessarily uses testing
grounds which are open to wider
observation.
The United States Atomic En-
ergy Commission claims that 1t has
reason to believe that Soviet tests
might be conducted in such a man
ner as to elude detection. It there
fore claims that ban on further
testing would hamper Western de-
velopment without effectively re-
straining research and development
work in the Soviet Union and its
satellite countries.
U. N. Hears Three PIons .
At the meeting Of the U. MS
Political Committee last January,
three new proposals we're submitted:
. A Joint proposal by Japan, Cam
ada and Norway calling for a sys-
tenn Of advance registration Of all
nuclear tests and radiation moni-
toring to be conducted by U. N.
workers.
"a Swedish proposal which
would. in effect. place a two-year
moratorium on nuclear tests by
banning all nuclear explosions until