Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-11-01
DAVID LAWRENCE
A 'FuIIout' of Facts on Soviet

official Washington was
somewhat misled.
The Moscow government
carried on a worldwide cam
paign against fallout in the
hope of persuading the
United States to stop testing.
The American Government
fell for the trick. Taking
for granted that the Com
munists would keep their end
of the bargain, the United
States declared a so-called
voluntary" moratorium on
testing three years ago. A
few skeptics thought Russia
would cheat. Now it is openly
charged that they did. DR..
Edward Teller, known as the
father Of the H-bomb," says
they couldn't have launched
their latest tests without
considerable preparation and
underground testing in secret.
The net result is that while
America has kept her word,
the Soviets have made prog
reSs by treachery. 1t isn't a
fatal advantage, however, be-
cause the experts think the
United States is still well
ahead of Russia today,
though this lead may not
be maintained if America
doesn't soon resume testing
in the atmosphere.
But how can this be done
now without alternating a
world opinion that feels tests
bring dangerous fallout? Pres
ident Kennedy is up against
a tough decision on that
point. If he doesn't resume
the tests, Americas security
to be achieved through the
use of deterrent power as a
way to prevent war-may be
diminished. If he does go
ahead, he will be confronted
with the Communist argu-
ment-and the contention Of
even non-Communist scien-
lists in other countries-that
since America is ahead
or at least equal in nuclear
strength. no useful purpose
will be served by continuing
to test.
1t will be argued that the
loss of prestige for America
should be taken into account.
But the realistic truth is that
If America doesn't keep on
testing to improve her weap-
ons. the Soviets will have won
a notable victory.
There is only one danger
that everyone agrees on-the
actual dropping of a nuclear
bomb near cities would hurt
the present as we'll as sue
ceeding generations. 1t could
mean a colossal destruction
of human life. How is the
dropping Of nuclear bombs
anywhere to be prevented
BY paper agreements that
can be disregarded at will?
The answer is that only an
informed public opinion in
the Soviet Union can stay the
hand Of the dictator.
The Russian people have
been kept in the dark about
all the tests made recently by
their own government. The
So egaton bomb make.
headlines all over the worlo
except b hind the Iror
Curtain. American bomber'
now can carry the equivalent
Of one bomb of so megatons
by putting two bombs of Is
megatons each into our more
than 900 bombers. America
has more destructive power
than Russia has. But thu
people of Russia don't know
this.
The important invention
that the world needs today
is some means of carrying the
truth through the air so that
there will be a fallout of fact
which will not hurt but viii
save the Russian people anc
all mankind.
Where are the inventors
And what is being done II
spread the truth across inter,
national boundaries by or.
ganized attempts at word,
of-mouth com m u nication
These are questions more vita
than what will happen 10I
years from now as a conse'
quence of some slight amour
Of radioactivit y spread