ATOMIC BOMBS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 7

ATOMIC BOMBS

DEADLINESS OF WEAPON' ARCHBISHOP STRESSES GRAVE ISSUE DANGER OF EXTINCTION (Rec. 10.40 a.m.) December 2. The Archbishop of York, ih a speech, said there was a terrible possibility that within 20 or 30 ys'ats another worid war might set in motion forces which would sweep belligerents and non-belligerent? off the face of the earth. He doubted whether Britons realised how near humans were to catastrophe. There seemed to be no reason why bombs 30 times the size of the Hiroshima bomb should not be made.

“Our race is in greater danger of extinction than since the first humans appeared,” he added. “Many say xe weapon is so awful that no civilised nation dare use it, but two of the most civilised nations .have already used it. The weapon's very deadliness is a strong motive for using it first against a possible enemy. No scientist 'holds the slightest hope of satisfactory defence.” The Archbishop discussed the control proposals. He said the nations must leap ahead and find solutions 'which in other times' would be debated for generations. Britain must do all possible to strengthen her friendship with the -United States and make possible co-operation with Russia.

He said he was not hopeless of relations with Russia, despite “perplexing diplomacy and disappointing and surprising progaganda attacks.” He added that the anxiety that Russia feels about America’s possession of the atomic bomb will be felt by all peoples of Europe when Russia also possesses that bomb. There was real hope that the United Nations with an international board possessing the bomb may become the most powerful peace organ ever known, but no organisation would be effective without the goodwill of the nations determined to abolish war.