NEW VISTA OF WARFARE

Southland Times, Issue 25747, 10 August 1945, Page 5

NEW VISTA OF WARFARE

Occupation Of Other Planets?

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, August 9. Future wars, in which atom-propel-led rocket ships will strategically occupy other planets, are predicted by Major-General J. F. Fuller, in The Daily Mail. He says that the application of atomic energy will not make wars impossible by its- frightfulness. On the contrary, it will result in better and more interesting wars. MajorGeneral Fuller says that the object of war is not destruction; it is to change the enemy’s opinion of war and of pure destruction, which he says, is madness and carried to its logical conclusion would mean the end of the world, and the end of the world would come if atomic energy was regarded purely as an explosive. Regarded as a propellant it opened a completely new vista of warfare—something terrible, wonderful and extraordinary. A rocketship, possibly as large as the Queen Mary, is no longer a dream, but a potential fact and soon perhaps an actual fact. In terms of warfare this means not so much increased power of destruction, but increased power of occupation. The Daily Herald says it would be childish and irresponsible folly for Britain and America to monopolize the use of atomic energy. “More thoroughly could a state of apprehension and competitive armament be engendered between nations than by suggesting that Britain and America would be interested in monopolizing this discovery? Anyway, are we sure how long we could hope to retain such a monopoly? Germany was very close to success and there are other brilliant scientific minds outside Britain. POSSIBILITIES AHEAD

“No special weapon has ever been the means of guaranteeing security to any country or group of countries. We are clearly approaching the state of scientific advance when the mere size of a nation or its political power and resources can no longer give assurance of safety. The question which faces us is: ‘Shall we, having this awful glimpse of the possibilities ahead, make a supreme effort to give active meaning to the plans for international cooperation which were outlined at the San Francisco Conference?”’

“Although the Japanese know a great deal about the theory of atomic bombs they are not near the stage of producing one,” said Professor Nevill Mott, a foremost authority on atomic physics. Professor Mott formerly worked at Copenhagen University with Dr Niels Bohr, one of the creators of of the atomic bomb. He said that while at Copenhagen he was associated with a Japanese research worker named Nishina, who in 1939 wrote a brilliant paper on nuclear fission, with special reference to experiments for obtaining energy from such elements as uranium. Professor Mott was certain, however, that the Japanese had not made a fraction of the progress made by Britain and America.

EUROPEAN PRESS ' REACTIONS POTENTIALITIES OF NEW BOMB

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, August 8. A preliminary survey of European Press reactions to the atomic bomb shows realization of its potentialities for the future of mankind. The Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, says “The irony of fate is that this great invention is being developed primarily to serve purposes of destruction, but it must be remembered that it may have revolutionary civilian application. Tire civilized world feels relieved that the forces fighting for humanity and liberty won the race in producing the greatest military invention of modern times. Britain and America suddenly find their position strengthened beyond their dreams. This explains the categorical ultimatum to Japan from Potsdam.” The Finnish Ilta Sanomat says: “When the Allies presented Japan with an ultimatum one realized that something unheard of lay behind it.” The Norwegian Telegram Bureau reported the Norwegian physicist, Dr Hilleaas, who was connected with the Norwegian prewar “heavy water” experiments, as saying that Norwegian physicists had followed the research with the greatest interest, but nobody expected such great and immediate practical results. JAPAN FACES CATASTROPHE

The Swiss Neue Zurcher Zeitung says: “Japan undoubtedly faces a catastrophe. The impression is unavoidable that the new weapon will be used hesitantly and with deep aversion. The responsibilities on the powers holding the most destructive weapon are weighty. The new.weapon would mean the end of war if used to assure peace, but guarantees must be given that it will never pass into unqualified hands.” The French Press is also unanimous on the danger of the new source of energy getting into the wrong hands. One paper declares that science is blind and serves good and evil with the same devotion. Le Soir says: “A military laboratory discovery does not reduce the value of a potential discovery. Let us, on the contrary, see their close association in the cause of human liberation. May this reflection prevent us forgetting at such a juncture that man remains of supreme value in all creation.”