Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-06
Russian Superbomb
Starts New Series
4O-Megoton
BIust SetOff
In Siberia

UPPSALA. Sweden, Aug. 6
(AP).-The Soviet Union has
launched a new nuclear test
series with a superbomb blast
which Swedish scientists placed
in the 40-megaton range, sec
ond to the 50-megaton blast
the Russians set off last Octo-
Der.
The first blast yesterday. ap-
parently touched off at Soviet
atomic test grounds in Arctic
Siberia. came as no surprise to
the West. Premier Khrush-
chev had announced his forces
would have to resume testing
because of the United States
Pacific tests now being con-
cluded.
The United States State De-
partment called the Soviet ex-
ploSion a "somber episode" but
made clear it will not halt
United States efforts to get a
nuclear test ban.
The urgent problem before
the world is not who tests last,
but how we can rid the world
of nuclear testing once and for
ALL" said the Department state
ment, referring to Soviet state
ments that they insisted on
holding the last round of tests.
Estimates of Size Vary
United States Ambassador
Arthur H. Dean returned to
the Geneva disarmament con-
ference Saturday with new
Western compromise proposals
for a test ban treaty. No date
has been announced for pre-
sentation of the proposals to
the conference.
Soviet reaction, even before
their presentation, was unfa-
vorable.
Estimates varied as to the
size OF the Soviet explosion
yesterday. believed touched off
on the island of Novaya Zemlya
about 1850 miles east of
Uppsala.
Uppsala University's seismo-
logical institute claSsed it in
the range of 40 million tons
of TINT and said it occurred at
a higher altitude than the
Soviet series of 1861.
A Norwegian scientist said
his instruments showed only
that it was smaller than the
50-megaton bomb set off Octo-
Der 30.
The Japanese meteorological
institute estimated the blast
IN the 20-megaton range.
Soviet Officials Silant
The United States Atomic
Energy Commission said only
that the Soviet Union deto-
mated a nuclear weapon in the
megaton range"
Washington observers re-
called that first Swedish re-
ports had placed last falls
Soviet supGr-blast in the 100
megaton range, but that the
United States commission later
put it in the 50-megaton cate
CORY. But the Uppsala scien-
lists said their equipment has
been improved and pointed out
that they are considerably
closer to the explosion site
than either the Japanese or the
Americans.
The Soviet Foreign Ministry
refused to comment on the eX-
plosion, which appeared to have
launched a new round of Rus
sian military maneuverS in the
far north. The Soviet govern
ment announced two weeks ago
that maneuvers would begin
August 5, with the Soviet
northern fleet. rocket troops
and air force units taking part.
Pravda, the Soviet Commu-
mist Party organ, made no
mention of the new Soviet
nuclear explosion but said
Western foes of peace seek to
convert outer space into an
area of aggression, a spring.
board for anti-human crimes
is this not borne out by the
explosions the United States
atom mongers are staging?"
Norway's civil defense Or
ganization arranged for a fall
out warning system. Members
of Sweden's national commits
sion on fallout were sum-
moned to a meeting in Stock
holm.