Evening star., 1961-06-16
The Time Has Come

Democratic Representative Chet
Holifield, chairman Of the Joint Con-
gressional Atomic Committee, has struck
a note of justifiable urgency in calling
upon the administration for an early
decision preparing the way for a
resumption of underground nuclear
tests, both military and nonmilitary.
The urgency stems primarily from
the fact that our country, together with
Britain, has debarred itself from all
such detonations for nearly three years
now. 1t has done so in keeping with
a voluntary moratorium Ito which the
Soviet Union also is supposed to have
been adhering) established in connec-
ton with the teSt-ban talks in Geneva.
But these talks, which were begun some
80 months ago, have been rendered
futile by the Kremlin's unyielding
demand for a veto over the bans
projected policing System-a veto that
would reduce the whole business to
an abSurdity. Meanwhile, we have had
no guarantees whatever against the
possibility, If not the probability, that
the Russians have been cheating on us
with clandeStine underground shots
capable of leading to breakthroughS
Of sort that could give them deci-
Sive, catastrophe military advantage.
1t is for this reason that the
knowledgeable Mr.. Holifield, whose
views apparently are shared by most
members of the Joint Committee, has
voiced essentially the same warning as
the one long since repeatedly expressed
by more than few American nuclear
authorities. AS he has put it, THE time
has come when we can no longer gamble
with the destiny of the United States
and the free world" The gamble he
has in mind, of course, will be taken
If our country asSents to an indefinite
continuation of the moratorium on
tests, without the slightest safeguard
against the danger of Soviet cheating
Accordingly, while favoring the idea of
trying to keep the Geneva talks alive,
he would have our Government renounce
that moratorium forthwith and under
take to carry out three types of testing:
Q) To promote the seismic detection
system; (2) to exploit atomic c-hydrogen
explosions for peaceful uSes and (3) to
strive for the development of revolu-
tionary new weaponS-the "neutron"
bomb, the anti-missile missile, etc.
whenever the President determines
that our national defense requires it."
For his own part-and we think
he is altogether right-Mr. Holifield has
plainly indicated that a firm presi-
Dental decision along these lines ought
to be forthcoming without delay, in
the next two weeks or so. A similar
view prevails in the Atomic Energy
Commission, not to mention the Penta-
gon. Indeed, as set forth in it's January
report to Congress, the Aces attitude
is worth quoting again: 'Nuclear weap-
onS development is not static science.
Important advances in weapons design
are poSSible-advance which would
have great military significance.
Our weapons scientists are convinced
that further nuclear testing would
achieve major advances. -. The military
advantages to be gained from clandes-
tine nuclear testing are great, and the
probabilities of detecting and identi-
flying clandeStine tests are very small.
This will be the free worlds situation
as long as there is an unpoliced de
facto moratorium on nuclear weapons
testing"
These words, in a way, constitute
an understatement. Actually, as Mr..
Holifteld has just warned, with the
support of a rather grim speech by
Senator Dodd, the United States can
adhere to its present no-testing course
only at grave peril to itself. The time
surely has come for the abandonment
of such potentially suicidal policy.