Russia And Atom Bomb“We Can’t Trust Them,” U.S. Scientists Say: New Defence Problems

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1949, Page 5

Russia And Atom Bomb—“We Can’t Trust Them,” U.S. Scientists Say: New Defence Problems

NEW YORK, September 25 (Rec 10 a.m.).—A group of top scientists contend that Russia’s development of,atomic energy means that the United States can no longer prevent Western Europe from being attacked. The scientists also agreed that if the United States and Russia engage in atomic warfare, it will lead at least to a ten-year struggle requiring occupation as the final step. The scientists, who are all active in atomic research, expressed these views at a press conference in Chicago. Dr Harold Urey, Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of heavy water, said: “If peace is preserved, it will not be because we can prevent Western Europe from being attacked.”

The scientists agreed that Russia, because of its vast territory and concealed war industries, will not need as many atom bombs as the United States to reach parity with the United States. Discussion Futile Dr Urey, Dr Leo Szilard, the Hun-garian-born atom pioneer and Dr .. Samuel Allison, director of the University of Chicago Institute of Nuclear Studies, agreed that there can be no agreement with Russia on the * control of atomic armaments. “There is not the slightest use even of discussing it with Russia now,” they said. “We could not trust them anyway.” Dr Urey said the three men proposed the establishment of a superGovernment of the North Atlantic nations. He could not see defence assurance against the atom within 50 years, other than by political organisation. . He added: “Even then we might have war.” New Power To Moscow Observers in Moscow believe there is now a chance of arranging a meeting on the abolition of atomic weapons and the setting up of controls. Reuter’s Moscow correspondent says that some Russians consider that the Tass announcement “should help to bring American atomic militarist hysterics to an end.” One widely-expressed view was that Russia, “with other peace-loving nations, will be able to carry out its peace policy undeterred by threats from trans-ocean autonomists who wish to plunge the world into a new war.” The Russians believe that the militarists, with Wall Street, control United States policy and are intent on destroying the Soviet Union. According to these Russians, the Tass announcement that Russia had the secret of the atom bomb since 1947 will make these Americans think twice. Routine Announcement None of the Russian papers treated the Tass announcement spectacularly. All printed it as a routine official announcement under a two-column heading, “Tass Announcement.” The radios repeated the news several times during the day. The United Press correspondent says that crowds gathered round loudspeakers in Moscow’s squares listening with obvious elation to the statement that Russian scientists had discovered the atom bomb secret nearly two years ago. The statement brought a feeling in Moscow that the world is nearer peace now than at any time in the past few years.

The official English version of its' statement on the Soviet possession of the atomic v/eapon issued by Tass today differed slightly from the Russian version put out earlier and gave a different interpretation of whether Russia actually had the bomb in 1947. The Russian version, referring to Mr Molotov’s statement on November 6, 1947, that the “secret of the atom bomb is no longer a secret,” said: “This meant that the Soviet Union had already discovered the secret of the atomic weapon and had this weapon in its possession.” The English version read: “The statement meant that the Soviet Union had already found out the secret of the atomic weapon and had this weapon at its disposal.” This would be taken to imply that the Soviet already had the atomic bomb—as distinct from the secret of the bomb—in 1947. Treated With Reserve British scientific and political quarters treated with reserve the Soviet explanations of the atomic explosion that occurred in Russia recently. Their attitude was that even if atomic energy had been used for blasting in building operations, it still meant the Russians could make the atomic bomb. The scientists said the destructive force of the atom could be used for blasting, because used that way the principle was the same as that of the bomb, but they pointed to the expense of the process. Professor A. M. Low., leading British scientist, doubted if Russia was putting atomic energy into building work on a large scale. He discredited the theories that seismograph recordings had shown atomic explosions in Russia, and added: “Radiation is a simpler method of ascertaining atomic explosions.” Soviet “Has Upper Hand” The United Press Prague correspondent says the first public mention of President Truman’s announcement on Friday on the Russian explosion to be made in any Eastern European country appeared in the Czech newspaper Obrana Lidu today. It said that the Soviet Union’s camp now had the upper hand in world power. The announcement changed the entire international situation. In Frankfurt today, a high American officer said that German brains, equipment and uranium ore helped Russia to find the atom bomb secret. Russia, without the help of German scientists, could not have developed the atomic Weapon so sioon. More than 200 German experts worked in Russia since 1945, some of whom were forcibly recruited.