ATOMIC BOMBS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25286, 21 August 1945, Page 7

ATOMIC BOMBS

[NOT EASY TO PRODUCE MISLEADING THE GERMANS ADDRESS BY SCIENTIST The number of atomic bombs which the Allies had at the end of the war might not have exceeded half a dozen, gaid Dr Dennis Brown, senior lecturer in physics at Auckland University College, in an address on the atomic bomb given to the Auckland Rotary Club yesterday. He said that eminent gcieiitists in Britain had made radio broadcasts early in the war to mislead Germany in the matter of developing atomic energy. After describing the principle of the atomic bomb, Dr Brown said that uranium was very scarce and the particular kind that proved effective in these explosions was even more scarce. * These bombs could not be produced in bulk like other types of bombs. He considered that there was no likelihood in the near future of any sort of com- * pact atomic-powered engine. It was true that only a speck of material was required to provide the power, but it was necessary to have a bulky arrangement, including tanks of water or hydrogen surrounding it. to slow down the neutrons. Ruse by Scientists The speaker referred to a series of talks by scientists which had been broadcast in the home programmes of the 8.8.C. in 1912. In one of these, Professor J. D. Cockcroft had dealt at length with the work of splitting the atom, and concluded by emphasising that the harnessing of this power would hiive to be put aside until after the war. "He„ said quite definitely that British scientists had shelved the whole question so as to allow concentration on more important things connected with the war," said the speaker. "We can see now that this was obviously done to mislead the Germans, as Professor Cockcroft is- one of those who have worked during the war on this development." The possibility of an atomic bomb had been foreseen for the last five or six years. Scientists today were not very surprised that it had come about. The two things in this connection that had surprised him most, said T)r Brown, were two remarkable predictions made during this century which later developments with the atom had proved correct. Remarkable Predictions The first was Lord Rutherford's statement in 1920 that some day a particle smaller than the nucleus of an atom would be discovered. Although no guch particle was then known, he was io sure of its existence that he gave it the name of neutron. The existence of the neutron was discovered in 1932. The other remarkable prediction was made by Professor Albert Einstein. In 1905, before even the nucleus had been discovered, Einstein, on the basis of his theory of relativity, had made the assertion "that matter and energy were really the same thing. The discovery of atomic power had proved him right. The nucleus had been discovered in 1911, the neutron in 1932, and the process of splitting (using uranium) had been completed in January, 1939. Einstein had gone even further and calculated how much energy the annihilation of a piece of matter would i yield. . INFLUENCE IN FUTURE "BLESSING OR A CURSE" Referring to the atomic bomb at a thanksgiving service in the Auckland synagogue, the Rev. A. Astor said that the Bible, as if presaging the discovery of the atomic bomb, had said: "Behold, 1 give you this day a blessing and a curse. A blessing if ye will hearken-to the commandments, and a curse if ve disobey them." He hoped God would grant that the world would choose the way of blessing. "We are told that the new bomb already has its counter in radar, and we pray that it will be put aside for ever as a power of destruction," he said. "As a deterrent, may it bring about a new era of lasting peace.' While deploring its destructive power, he considered that there was cause to be grateful to God that it had been discovered by those who might be trusted to use it with wisdom and understanding. "By shortening the war by only a few months, it has saved many more times the number of precious lives that it has already destroyed." added Mr Astor.