Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-07
The Case for TESTING

At nome ana ABROAD Jnefe are Well
meaning people who continue to advo-
cate an immediate and unconditional
ban on the testing of nuclear weapons.
They feel that such ban, apart from
protecting the public health, would help
to ease international tension and thus
constitute promising first step toward
a general disarmament agreement with
assumption that all fission and fusion
explosions are automatically detachable,
they argue that an undertaking of this
sort would be safe because 1t would be
self-policing. So why not try 1t, they
ask. What harm can 1t do?
Before they make their appeals any
stronger, these individuals would do well
TO null over what is said about the sub
Ject IN the military security report OF
the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. For the
report cites several persuasive reasons
why mere paper ban could be danger
Gus. One of these is the fact that "a
nuclear test Is easily recorded or moni-
tored only II no serious attempt is made
to keep 1t secret. II nation wants to
very complicated and uncertain" In
other words, given an unpoliced pro-
hibiting agreement, the Kremlin would
be capable-if it wished to do So-of
violating its pledges with clandestine
detonations that might be altogether
undetectable.
AS for the biological effects of fall
hn RRt An- ID a.
The accumulated radiation from weap-
ons tests is only an insignificant fraction
OF the dosage to which most Americans
are exposed from X-rayS. To be sure,
exposure to any additional radiation
should be avoided. As In the case OF
X-rayS. what is involved. however, is a
balancing Of risks. The dangers OF con-
tinued weapons testing must be weighed
against the hazards inherent in not con-
Quoting them. II an end Of weapons
testing weakened the deterrent and
made war more likely. or more catas-
trophic. we would have brought on what
we most wished to avoid" In this con-
nection, point to be kept in mind is
that our experimentation in Nevada and
the Eniwetok area helps us to produce
a wide variety of cleaner" and less
indiScriminate A and H bombs or war
heads.
Further, such experimentation may
make possible the development Of anti
aircraft and antimiSSile defenSeS OF the
greatest importance in terms of deter
ring the potential enemy. AS TO that,
the Funds report significantly observes
that 'nuclear difference is immensely
complicated, since each new scientific
advance. II applied by one side and not
the other, is capable of overturning the
strategic equation. In a-dynamic situa-
ton, we must continually strive 10 i'm
prove our chronological position lest an
accumulation Of advances by an agrees
sor ultimately confront us with over
whelming strength. 1t is this situation
which should cause us to be extremely
wary about ending nuclear weapons
testing"
This states the case about as con-
vincingly as 1t has yet been stated. Ger
tainly, in the words OF the Rockefeller
study, "a ban on weapons testing with
out adequate inspection and without an
end to the production OF nuclear weap-
ons would be beneficial only to the side
prepared TO violate the agreement. Our
strong desire for peace and security
should not induce us to buy the SEM
blance of one at the expense of the
other"