We Must Keep Atom Bomb Stockpile
Edge Over Soviet Until It's Needless
By BRUCE BIOSSAT
The United States never has, revealed how big a stockpile ot
atom bombs It has or how many It Is producing yearly. These
facts have been closely guarded secrets and speculation about
them has not been specific as to numbers.
Now, ";oY.'tver, the United Stnte New h ccm, forth Viitl:
some bold estimates. It guesses the current stockpile to be at
least 250 atom bombs and predicts that by 1952 he tigure will be
850. Output is calculated at around 200 bombs a year.
The magazine goes on to state
that this production rate is con
sidered to be the peacetime
maximum for the nation by Dr.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, one ot
the bomb's developers.
No authority is quoted as a
-
source for these vital figures.
The estimates are offered flatly,
presumably as Informed guesses.
The only clue the News gives s
that the atom bomb article was
prepared at Lake Success, site of
the United Nations and affiliated
agencies.
Since the specific figures ap
peared, no denial or conforma
tion has been issued by any gov
ernment source. There is no way
of knowing how accurate the es
timates may be. But it is never
theless worth noting that a na
tional magazine has felt suffi
cient confidence in Its informa
tion not only to print the figures
in the body of a story but '.o
splash them across its cover
page. . -
The U. S. News was not con
tent to estimate American atom
bomb output. It said that by 1952,
when the U. S. is supposed to
have 850' bombs, Russia will have
about 100. "That !s the consid
ered estimate of a number M
U. S. atomic scientists apprais
ing the capabilities of Russia,"
added the magazine.
If we suppose the estimates are
soundly based, then what do they
mean?
At first glance, a 1952 margin
of 850 U. S. bombs to 100 Rus
sian ones would seem to be de
cisive. But UN officials are said
to believe the U. S. advantage is
not really great. The argument
is made that atom bomb targets
are chiefly limited to big cities
and that Russia has about a doz
en fewer of these than the United
States.
Thus, It is contended, the Unit
ed States would be hard put to
DON'T fOmtfTA
You'll Need
2 -cent Stamps
on Unsealed
Christmas Cards
This Year.
CHRISTMAS REMINDER Uncle Sam says you may not mall
Christmas greetings in unsealed envelopes for IVi cents this year
as you have in the past. Recent legislation upped the fee to two
cents. The Post Office Department would like you to keep this in
mind when mailing this year's batch of greeting cards.
bring its numerical edge to bear
upon the Soviet Union in the
event of war. On the other hanJ,
Russia's supply of bombs would
definitely be enough to use
against all major city targets in
this country. .
Offhand, it looks as if there
were much room for debate in
this field. It is quite an assump
tion to declare that atom bombs
will be useful only against indus
trial and other targets in large
urban centers. The weapon has
been a reality for just three years
and perhaps it's a bit early to
speak with too much finality
about its uses. Conceptions of
strategic and tactical bombing
are altered steadily.'
Until the atom bomb has been
an element in military planners'
thinking for, longer than a few
years, there can be little point
in writing off so casually a bet
ter than 8 to 1 advantage or
whatever margin the U. S. may
actually enjoy over Russia in
the period just ahead.
To suggest that our stockpile
edge is of no real value is vir
tually to propose that this coun
try spend its atom-bomb funds
on some less costly and more
fruitful enterprise. .Americans
know too little about the likely
nature of a future war and about
the intentions of their probable
enemies to consider such a course
anything but a bad risk.
South Americans make "male"
a tea-like drink out of the leaves
of one species of holly.
L U
Emms on
MI
90 oil UoubU
ol tire Hit..
TRMfcWttt WW!
unuB "" "
Soup Hubby's First Love,
Wife Obtains Divorce
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 UP)
Soup, or rather, not enough ot
it, is the latest grounds for di
vorce. Mrs. Violet Stern, 27, obtained
a decree Tuesday after she told
the court her husband, Max
Stern, 33, Culver city restaur
ateur, loved soup more than he
did her.
"It might sound silly." she tes
tified, "but my husband's cheif
complaint against me was mat
I didn't make soup often
enoueh."
A settlement requires Stern to
pay $140 monthly support for
tneir two cnuaren ana awaraea
Mrs. Stern $12,000 in assets. They
were married in 1939 and separ
ated 18 months ago.
Valuations' Hike
Reduces Millage
Rates In Cities
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON,
Eugene (Special) A spectacu
lar increase in the assessed valua
tion of some cities has decreased
city mlllsgrt rates of many cities
liespiie an increase In the dollar
amount of city tax levies,, ac
cording to Information contained
in a bulletin prepared by the bu
reau of municipal research and
service, University of Oregon,
comparing city tax levies
throughout the state. Reassess
ment and annexation, as well as
new construction, were impor
tant factors in the Increased as
sessed valuations. Dayton in
Yamhill County and Oakridge in
Lane county are cited as out
standing examples, with the 1949
50 assessed valuation more than
double that of last year. An in
crease of over 50 percent In
assessed valuation is reported fur
ten cities.
For the. cities of the state as
a whole, however, tax levies have
increased at a slightly more rap
id rate than assessed valuation,
with the result that the state
wide average tax rate for city
purposes increased from 18.4
mills for the 1948-9 fiscal year
to 18.6 mills for the current fis
cal year. City levies for the 1949
50 fiscal year total $15,417,192,
which Is an Increase of $1,564,365
or 11.4 percent over the 1948-49
toy With Cancer Of Eye
Offered Free Operation ,
PORTLAND, UP) Doern
becher hospital has offered a
free eye operation to Dean Ault,
2 1-2-year-old Seattle boy who Is
suffering from cancer.
A Seattle doctor advised the
boy's parents that he must have
the eye removed or he would
die.
A spokesman or lius hospital
here, where an Elks-sponsored
eye clinic is located, said the
operation would be performed
without cost, but the boy's par
ents, because they reside out of
Oregon, would have to pay hos
pital costs.
Thurt., Dec. 8, 1949 The- Newt-Review, Roitburt, Ore. I
World's Biggest Christmas Tree Giant Douglas Fir
More than half of all the
fertilizer produced in the United
States is used by farmers in the
Cotton Belt. '
BELLINGHAM, m Bel
Ungham's biggest Christmas tree
in the world, a giant douglat fir,
was felled Sunday on the Sumas
plains In an hour and a halt
process watched by hundreds of
spectators.
It started it 35-mile Journey to
this city on two logging trucks,
traveling 100 feet apart.
Crews worked a day and a half
rigging the tree, with expert log
gers In charge, headed by Glen
Corning, lumber operator, and Al
Knowles, veteran high rigger.
The butt measures 54 Inches in
diameter, cut from a five foot
j'limp, and the tree contains 7.-,
500 board feet of lumber. It's
height Is secret until It Is erected,
but it tops last year's 134-foot
tree by some 20 feet. It Is a Junior
chamber of commerce project.
total. The assessed valuation of
cities was reported at $824,966,190
in 1949-50, an increase of $78,
588,903 or 10.5 percent.
Of the 208 active incorporated
cities in the state, only seven did
not make a property tax levy
for 1949-50. City millage' rates In
creased In 92 cities and decreas
ed in 106 cities. The assessed val
uation Increased in 190 cities, but
decreased In 14. Complete de
tails regarding city property tax
levies for the current year as
well as an analysis of trends ap
pear in the new bulletin which
will be distributed to city offi
cials and civic groups throughout
the state this week.
A New Year's
$e5o(utto
Start your preparations now to do your 1950
business with us. Complete banking services
available, including safe deposit boxes and
night depositories.
DOUGLAS COUNTY STATE BANK
A Home Owned, Home Operated Institution
Member, Federal Deposit Insurance
' , Corporation. . ;
BEES
00LTB6
Dollar-wise, mileage-wis motorists who
want extra safety, extra wear will appre
ciate the plus-value of new Goodyear tire. -
Stronger cord bodies make them more re-'
ilstant to bruises and blowouts wider,
flatter treads give longer wear, quicker
stops.
i
Get rid of trouble before trouble starts
trade new and ride on safer, longer-wearing
new Goodyeari.
luy the Easy Pay Way
SmaR dewn eayment one1
terns os low ei
New fires deserve new fub.s
Uf.Overa's make Mowovfi harmfeu
U A WIIK
(I
mfeu P
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iiUiiilniiJhW
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Wl hi J k: y
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