Atomic Explosion . Occurs 111 Russ 3 Vyshinsky Attacks,

Northern Advocate, 24 September 1949, Page 5

Atomic Explosion . Occurs 111 Russ 3 Vyshinsky Attacks,

Deadly Secret No Longer Confined To Democracies; Three - Nation Statement

NEW YORK, Fri. (10.30 a.m.).—The United States, British and Canadian Governments announced today that an atomic explosion had occurred in Russia within recent weeks. Correspondents interpret this to 'mean that Russia has the atomic bomb. President Truman, in a statement issued in Washington today, announced the explosion, and : simultaneous announcements were made in London and Ottawa. , . The editor of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists m Chicago said if there was an atomic explosion in Russia “that explosion was caused by an atomic, bomb.”

Releasing the Washington announcement, Mr Truman said: “I believe the American people, to the fullest ex-tent-consistent with national secm> ity,. are entitled to be informed of aIT developments in the field of atonic energy.

nitud<; of those at Hiroshima- and Nagasaki. The reason was that a certain critical amount of enriched uranium or plutonium .mist be assembled before it would explode. When the'critical amount was obtained it was, in effect, an atomic bomb. • Dr Harold Urey, one of the United States-top atomic scientists, said: "I am flattened like everybody else by the news. There is only one thing worse than one nation having the bomb—and that is two nations having it.” He added that it was inevita'le Russia would produce an atomic bo. b but apparently she had developed it faster than most people thought.

' "‘‘That is my reason for making public the following information: We have evidence that, within recent weeks, an atomic explosion occur-ed in Russia.

“Ever since atomic energy was first released by man, the nentual development of this new ft ice by other nations was to be expected. This probability has been taken into account by us."

- Mr Truman continued: "Nearly four years ago, I pointed out: ‘ Scientific opinion appears to be practically unanimous that the essential theoretical knowledge on which the discovery was based is already widely known. There is also substantial agreement that foreign research can come abreast of our present theoretical knowledge in time,’

“In the three-naticn declaration of ,he President of the United States and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Canada dated November 3:5,. 1945, it was emphasised that .no single nation could, ‘n fact, have a monopoly of atomic weapons.

“This recent development emphasises once again, if . indeed such emphasis is needed, 'he necessity for that truly effective enforceable international control o f atomic energy which this Government, and a large majority, of. United Nations members, support.”

'The United States Defence Secretary (Mr Louis Johnson) refused to answer reporters’ questions about exactly when/arid where, the Russian explosion occurred.

Asked if Cabinet had more details than were contained in Mr Truman’s announcement, Mr Johnson replied: “Cabinet knows everything about it.”

Crucial Drama

Senator B. McMahon, chairman of the Senate Atomic Energy Commission, called the joint House and Senate committee to a secret session today after Mr Truman had told him about the explosion. i..:. He added that, as far as he could see, the'‘r[ew£r'‘WOuTd"not make it necessary for Congress, at the present session, to consider changes in atomic, law. “Our whole programme has been based on the expectation that another nation would produce the bomb,” he said. i Mr McMahon, in a later formal statement, said the .news faced the United. States with the most crucial drama in its history. “Now we know the Soviet masters preferred- to forge their own atomic weapons rather, than support the plan for universal abolition which the United States proposed in 1946. . “If we have been wrong, arbitrary or unfair in our approach to the atomic problem, M. Stalin should tell us so in his own words. ‘1 am convinced a way can be found to pierce the iron curtain and place the atomic issue before the Russian people. “We cannot allow to drift upon us a . hideous conflict in which the great mass of Russians would be as innocent of evi) intent as we ourselves “The Kremlin will bargain for peace in its own- time, on its own terms. “We must alert the entire civilised world to the peril which the Kremlin policy involves. “We must employ, to the utmost every channel of diplomacy which yields the slightest hope of finding a way out of the impasse.” A military expert said the Russians were probably "in the Los Almos He was referring to July 16, 1945, when the. United States test bomb was exploded in a New Mexico desert, three weeks before the first bomb was dropped in Hiroshima. '. The statement from No. 10 Downing Street, London, announcing the explosion in Russia, emphasised the importance with which the three Governments of Britain, .he United States and Canada regarded international control of atomic energy.

Paris evening newspapers issued special editions, printing the statement by the three nations on atom explosions under huge headlines on their front pages. A. -French newspaper story saying ’he Russians had exploded an atom bomb was recalled in Paris tonight

In Siberia?

The weekly magazine Samedi Soir asserted on July 25 that Russia had exploded its first successful atom bomb on July 10. The pa"per said the explosion took place somewhere in Siberia, near longitude 46 north, latitude 53 east.

The United Press correspondent in Washington, referring to the means whereby the United States apparently learned' of the explosion, said this is a closely guarded secret, but it is known that the United States had perfected highly refined, seismic instruments like those used to detect earthquakes, which can record powerful explosions at great distances. The United States is believed to have several de tec don stations on the rim of-Russia. Mr Eugene Rabtauwitcit, editor of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, explaining his statement that a bomb must have caused the explosion, said no atomic explosion could be made on a small scale.

Any explosion would be of the mag-

Foolish'

“This shows how foolish has been the excessive worry about keeping the atomic secret,” lie said. “It could not be kept. Other scientists can do what we do.” --; • f ’;; ;-. ;; / ;. v .President' Truman’s . announcement caused a stir in the United Nations Assembly. The leading Soviet delegate JM. Arutinian) • said Mr Truman’s announcement was the .first he had heard of the news.

He. added: “If it is true the Russians have an atomic bomb it shows how indispensable an international agreement is.” Mr Truman’s announcement was given to reporters after his usual press conference, and the news was flashed over the nation’s radio networks within minutes. Musical programmes were interrupted as announcers gave the news and asked listeners to stand by for further statements.

The Secretary of State (Mr Arheson) told a press conference th’s afternoon that the news of the Russian atomic explosion should not surprise anyone.

- Asked if •Mr Truman’s announcement meant-that Russia definitely had the atomic bomb, Mr Acheson replied <bat He was assuming for his own purposes that Russia had the weapon which had been exploded. He declined to state exactly where the reported explosion took place. He said the United States still was determined to do "everything in its power to ptoceed towards a truly effective international control of atomic energy.