SECRET WEAPONS TO BE TESTED

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25551, 20 July 1948, Page 5

SECRET WEAPONS TO BE TESTED

U.S. Battleship As Target

EXPERIMENT NEAR PEARL HARBOUR (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) HONOLULU, July 18. “The orange-painted, radio-active battleship Nevada, which was a target in the first atomic bomb tests at Bikini, will be towed to sea on July 25 and sunk during four days of highly secret attacks oy highly secret weapons,” says the "Honolulu Advertiser ” x “It will be the first major test of certain top secret weapons and explosives against a battleship, and in contrast with the recent sinking of the radio-active battleship New York all non-military persons will be kept from the area. “Vice-Admiral Harold Sallada, who will be in charge of operations, said that although the nature of the tests could not be discussed ‘the significant aspects of the whole business are aerial.’ Army, Navy, and Marine aircraft would participate in the attack, which would be 50 miles south-west of Pearl Harbour. "He added that should the Nevada not be sunk by July 30 a task force comprising a battleship and three cruisers would sink the ship by conventional means, which journalists would be allowed to witness.”

ATOMIC ENERGY CONTROL

U.S. VIEW OF SOVIET POLICY

GENERAL MARSHALL REPORTS

WASHINGTON, July 18. Unyielding Soviet pursuit of its present “negative” policy on atomic energy control might lead to a third world war. said the United ■States Secretary of State (General Marshall) in a long review of atomic energy which he presented to President Truman, last night. General Marshall described Russia’s proposals for world control of atomic energy as a sham designed to deprive the United States of the atomic bomb without commensurate security. He blamed the Soviet for the failure of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission to reach agreement during more than 200 meetings in the last two years.

General Marshall recommerided that the United States "as holder in fact of a temporary monopoly over atomic weapons, must act unilaterally to remain strong in the field,” until the monopoly ends or until it could be changed for effective world safeguards.

OLYMPIC FLAME ON WAY TO BRITAIN

CORFU TO BARI ABOARD BRITISH FRIGATE

ATHENS, July 18. The Olympic flame left Greek soil for Eari aboard a British frigate, after its 125-mile journey from Olympia. Thousands of Corfu Island inhabitants attended a ceremony at Corfu. Athletes, civilian bands and girls paraded, and Greek youth contested races to decide who would run the last lap of the Greek torch relay from Corfu’s central square to the waterfront. ,

The frigate’s commander received the flame, which the frigate is to deliver to Italian runners at Eari tomorrow.

Theft of Postal Packets.—A sentence of three years’ imprisonment was imposed on William Stewart-Carter, an accountant, aged 29, at the Sydney Quarter Sessions, for breaking into the Sydney General Post Office and stealing 147 registered letters and packages. Stewart-Carter was stated to have a long criminal record in New Zealand. —Sydney, July 17.