U.S. SECRET ‘ATOMIC WEAPON' TESTS IN MARSHALL ISLANDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22616, 20 April 1948, Page 5

U.S. SECRET ‘ATOMIC WEAPON ' TESTS IN MARSHALL ISLANDS

(N.Z.P.A.—Reuter— Copyright.)

(11 a . m .) WASHINGTON, April 19. The United'States Atomic Energy Commission announced today that “an atomic weapon” had been tested in great secrecy at Eniwetok atoll, in the Marshall Islands.

The announcement added that “further information is not permissible at present.” For security reasons the date of the test is withheld.

The commission’s statement read: “There has been a test of an atomic weapon at the proving grounds of the Atomic Energy Commission on Eniwetok atoll, in the Marshall Islands. For security reasons the date of the test is not. being announced. “A classified report of the test results is being made to the Congressional committee on atomic energy. "The test was conducted under full security restrictions of the Atomic Energy Act. Public issuance of further information concerning ( the test is not permissible at present.” Greatly Improved Weapon

The United Press says: "There is every indication that the latest atomic test—the world’s sixth known atomic explosion—was made with a greatly improved weapon. It is thought that the test may have involved a deepwater test of the atomic bomb. "Such a test was called off at Bikini after two bombs were tested there. One was dropped from a plane and the other exploded a short distance below the surface. “Mr. David Lilienthal, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, has said repeatedly that the atomic bomb improved constantly at Los Alamos laboratory, New Mexico.” Military officials c anected with the current tests at Eniwe. k have said here that no ships woulu be used as "guinea-pigs”. The effects of the latest explosion probably were measured entirely with scientific instruments under closely controlled conditions, says the United Press. If such was the case the Eniwetok explosion will be the first real scientific test of the atomic bomb since the first bomb was exploded at Alamogordo, New Mexico on February 16, 1046, for some scientists feel that the two Bikini explosions were carried out under conditions unfavourable to scientific measurement. The second atomic bomb explosion was over Hiroshima on August 5, 1945, and the third over Nagasaki on August 10, 1945, the fourth on February 1, 1946 at Bikini and the fifth on July 24, 1946, at Bikioi.