RUSSIA’S BOMB BLEW UP DATA AND ATOM EXPERTS?

Grey River Argus, 29 September 1949, Page 5

RUSSIA’S BOMB BLEW UP DATA AND ATOM EXPERTS?

Soviet Now Said To Have None!

(N.Z.P.A.—REUTER CABLE) (Rec. 9.25). THE HAGUE, Sept. 28. The Dutch newspaper, “De Tijd”, said to-day that an explosion, last spring, destroyed Russia’s “Atom City”, and it killed everyone in the city. According to a special correspondent of the Dutch newspaper, the explosion killed all of the scientists who were working there, and ,it also destroyed their atomic data.

The correspondent said that President Truman’s announcement, therefore, means that Russia no longer has the atom, bomb, and that “mankind has been freed, by this explosion, from one of the greatest dangers that ever threatened”.

First Warning From Russian Deserter NEW STATE WHEN I OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED (Rec. 9.50). LONDON, Sept. 28. A detailed report of the Western Powers’ discovery that atomic explosions had taken plac e in Russia had already appeared in the Stuttgarter Zeitung, which is published in the American zone of Germany, ten days before the official London and Washington announcements of th e discovery, according to the Daily Telegraph’s diplomatic correspondent. The report was published in the German newspaper on September 13. Th e Stuttgarter Zeitung attributes its report to a London correspondent of the Overseas News Agency in an American concern, with its headquarters in New York. He stated that the United States detector stations, in March and April, had registered powerful explosions in Russian territory in the Ust-Uit area, between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Three other neavy explosions were registered in the same area on July 10. FIRST WARNING The first warning that the Russians had established an experimental field for atom bomb tests in the Ust-Urt area was given to the Western Powers intelligence services by Major Silov, of the Soviet General Staff, who deserted’, early in this year, to the British authorities in Berlin. Major Silov si'id that the Russians were then about to make experimental explosions. The British and the United States announcements that the atomic explosions had taken place in Russia were made on September 23. Officials in London on Tuesday, when shown th e Stuttgarter Zeitung report, said that they had no comment to make. ATOM BOMB IS HOT POTATO ! LONDON, September 27. When the House of Commons reassembled this afternoon Mr Churchill asked, amid loud Opposition cheers whether the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. C. Attlee, would make a statement on the development of the atom bomb by Russia. Mr Attlee replied that he did not think it would be in the public interest to make any further statement beyond that which had been made on September 23. Mr Attlee, in reply to Captain Raymond Blackburn (Labour) said that the Government had made its policy perfectly clear. It believed that there should be' international control of atomic energy. Mr Churchill asked whether the Prime Minister would agree to the question being discussed when Parliament reassembled next week. Mr Attlee said that, if it was thought useful, he would certainly consider it.

Mr W. Gallagher (Communist) asked whether, as there was no real defence against the atom bomb, Mr Attlee would support the Russian proposal for the destruction of all atomic bombs. Mr Attlee said that if Russia would agree to international inspection great progress would be made. Mr Attlee told Mr Emrys Hughes (Labour) that he had been advised that the atomic weapon did not necessarily mean that all the other weapons were obsolete.