ATOMIC BOMB

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 226, 24 September 1945, Page 5

ATOMIC BOMB

SHOULD RUSSIA KNOW? PROBLEM FOR ALLIES

Recd. 6.30 p.m. New York, Sept. 22. Caoinet, in its longest session ol the current administration, reached no decision on Mr. Wallace’s proposal that Britain, America and Canada reveal the secret of the atomic bomb to Russia, says the “New York Times’ " Washington correspondent. President Truman will, it is believed, give the proposal his deepest consideration beiore supporting it, even if Britain and Canada do so. The Army and Navy feel strongly that the secret should not be revealed to anybody until an antidote is discovered. tyir. Wallace claimed that now is the t.me to make a real start towards a working world union by a demonstration of good faith to Russia, which, if given the secret, would be under a perpetual obligation never to use the atomic bomb against any of her present allies. Mr. Wallace’s adherents believe that Russia is certain to learn the bomb’s secret in the not far distant future, and Russia should be brought quickly into full play as a fore 3 for perpetual world peace, rather than as a continuing question mark in all international discussions and schemes.

Opponents of Mr. Wallace said Russia would be so long developing the bomb that Britain and America would, by that time, have discovered an antidote, but they urged that any thought of disclosure should be postponed until after the various peace statements were finally determined. President Truman must make a final decision. It is recalled that he refused to reveal the atomic bomb secret to Generalissimo Stalin at Potsdam, even though he had the secret in his pocket. Mr. Truman, it is believed, took the view that Stalin refused to reveal secrets daring the European war of Russian pocket guns, tanks and field pieces superior to the British and American, and he, therefore, could rightly withhold our greatest secret from Stalin. Russian insistence on the utmost secrecy regarding their weapons, has been one of the legends of this war, and ore of the greatest thorns in the side of the Allied High Command.

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Connally, later said President Truman would probably reveal his views on the atomic bomb in a message to Congress next week.