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U.S. Scientists Work
On a Hydrogen Bomb
"T PRAY God we may never have to use it"
I With these words Sen. Scott Lucas (D-Hl), Senate ma
jority leader, greeted announcement of the fateful order for this
country's scientists to go ahead with development of the hydrogen
bomb, theoretically 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic
bomb.
Mr. Truman said he. alone, made the
historic decision because it is part of
his responsibility as commander-in-chief
of the armed forces to see to it
that the nation is able to defend itself
against any attack. ,
The Joint Congressional Committee
urged' "utmost speed" in development
after a meeting with the Atomic
Energy Commission, headed by David
E. Lilienthal
Bernard M. Baruch, who drafted the
original American plan-for controlling
atomic energy, called it a "wise deci
sion, necessary for the peace of the
world."
No Other Alternative
Rep. Henry M. Jackson (D-Wash.).
"a member of the Joint Congressional
Atomic Energy Committee, said t the
President had "no other alternative"
but he declared: j
"This H-Bomb cannot be used for
peaceful purposes. It can only be used
for destruction."
. For weeks some Congressional lead
ers and a number of scientists had
urged immediate development of the
hydrogen bomb. They argued that
with Russia in possession of the
atomic secret, this country needed an
even more powerful weapon to make
the Soviet Union realize that if it at
tacked it would be inviting terrible
retribution.
Hopes for effective international
control of atomic weapons as spon
sored j by this country through the
Baruch plan - in the United Nations
have been blocked repeatedly by Rus
sian refusal to accept the principle of
international inspection,
i Mr. Truman's brief but dramatic
announcement gave no hint of a pos-.
sible attempt to "renew negotiations
with Russia for international control.
He did declare, however: .
"We -shall continue to examine all
those factors that affect our program
for peace'and this country's security."
rjsri and Fasten
T The atomic bomb operates on the
s principle of fission, or splitting of
atoms. The principle of the hydrogen .
bomb is just the opposite, fusion of
hydrogen atoms to form helium and,
at the 'same time, releasing tremen
dous atomic energy.
It is energy generated by this proc
esjin the sun radiated across 83,000,
000 miles of space that makes life on
this world possible. But on the sun.
this process takes 5,000,000 years. For
a bomb it must be compressed to the
fraction of a second.
The temperature requirement, about
28,000,00 degrees, conceivably could
be found in the maelstrom of an ex
ploding uranium or plutonium bomb.
It is by using the A-Bomb as a primer
that scientists believe they can gen
erate the terrific heat and pressure
needed to set off fusion of hydrogen.
Water
Liquid Assets
The old saw about "water, water
. everywhere, but not a drop to drink"
never seemed humorous to shipwreck
victims. And ifs not funny to taxpay
ers of big cities which spend millions
of dollars for conduit systems to bring
in drinking water.
The ; Geological Survey, an agency
of the - Department, ot Interior, de
clared last week the UJS. has plenty
of water all it has to do is find it It
called for ah expanded study of the
nation's water resources to avoid fu-
ture shortages like those afflicting
some areas how.
In parts of California, Arizona and
New York, for instance, water is be
ing taken 'from the ground much
faster than nature can replenish it
But in a great many other areas,
says the Geological Survey, there are
vast untapped reserves .of under
ground water and great volumes of
water above ground which run to
' used into the sea. !,
The agency says lesi than 5 per
cent of the country has been covered
by thorough scientific surveys of
ground water. It reports that another
20 per cent has been covered by hasty
reconnaissance methods, much of
which was accomplished decades ago.
Sidelights
In Memphis. Sam Habson. a ware-
house clerk, owns more-stock in the
It-state Kroger grocery chain than its
president Hobson, who still works
, five days a week, began buying stock
from bis savings in 1908, now has S32,
000 worth.
At La Grande, Ore. Mr. and Mrs.
R. Edmiston of Lincoln. Neb, discov
ered two of their children dead in the
back seat af their car of carbon mon-
oxide fumes from the exhaust
In East Liverpool. Ohio, a dealer
Jokingly advertised a car for sale at
the "bargain price of 1,275 rubles."
The wife of an 'ex-Marine who had
served in China showed up with two
1000 Russian ruble notes and de
manded the car.
. . .. Near Kittitas, Wash, a transconti
nental train, its electric locomotive
disabled by fire, careened backward
down a three-mile bill with more than
209 passengers. None was injured but
all agreed they had more thrills than
t ( on a rpllerrcoaster ride.
Dates,
Monday, Febraary C
Boy Scout Week starts.
Tuesday, February 7
United Nations Economic & So
cial Council convenes.
Thursday, February t
Anniversary (80th),
U. S.
Weather Bureau.
Sunday, Febraaiy 12
Lincoln's Birthday.
Georgia Day. ;
Mardi Gras starts in New Or
leans, t
National Security Week starts.
Japan
A Soviet Enigma
The Russians are scraping up Japa
nese prisoners of war for repatriation,
seemingly from nowhere. ;
Last spring the Russians said they
would return the remaining 95,000
Japanese prisoners still in Soviet
hands before November.; They sent
that number.
Since then, the United: States has
asked the Kremlin to account for more
than 370,000 other Japanese war pris
oners. The Russians retorted they were
holding only 10,000 Japanese all
"war criminals' who would not be re
turned. ,
Russian delegates have refused to
discuss the matter in the four-power
Allied Council. Three times in the
past few months they walked out of
Tokyo council sessions when this coun
try insisted on bringing the matter up.
Last week Gen. MacArthur's head
quarters was asked to send a ship to
Siberia to pick up 2,500 prisoners for
repatriation prisoners the Soviet in
sisted all along it didn't have, It was
the . second such group of 2,500 the
Soviet Union discovered in recent
weeks.
BIO
D PJ.
IX la l w .
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it t i
Propaganda Technique
Paper Bullets
The routine shift of a mild-mannered
U.S. career diplomat, Joseph
Jacobs, from Czechoslovakia to Italy
was greeted last week with what has
come to be considered a typical Com
munist outburst
Jacobs, former American ambassa
dor to Prague, is a special arms aid ad
visor to the U.S. Embassy in Rome.
His shift was one of a number in prep
aration for shipment of Italy's share in
the $1,000,000,000 program for mutual
defense against Communist aggres
sion. Jacobs' arrival was heralded by
Communist placards distribcted in
Rome almost from door to door. They
read: "J Is Coming War," and "Death
to Jacobs."
The Communist press carried a
number of articles which Jacobs took
pains to correct for American corre
spondents. "I didn't come In a British destroyer
as they said," he commented. "I sim
ply drove down in my car from Nice,
France, -and stopped over night at
Pisa."
sted China Sadie
American observers say this Italian
incident affords in miniature a typical
example of Soviet propaganda tactics
of harassment vilification and misrep
resentation directed against the west
Red China buttressed that conten
tion last week when the RinHg ra
dio charged Douglas & MarKrnin of
Stoughton, Mass, - American vice con
sul in that province, had been exposed
as a spy.
The Red radio said three White Rus
sian confederates surrendered, naming
MacKlernan a spy who sought to or
ganize bandits of the far western ter-
SPAIN: How the Cold
THE fall of Hitler and Musso
lini cost Generalissimo Fran
cisco Franco two powerful friends.
Their aid helped him crush the
Spanish Republicans who had
communist aid. But a postwar
world without dictators left Franco
virtually without friends.
A little over three years ago the
United Nations' General Assembly
adopted a resolution urging all mem
ber nations to recall their ambassadors
from Madrid since the "Franco fascist
regime does not represent the Spanish
people''
Now while countries in western Eu
rope are struggling to their economic
feet (with U.S. aid). Franco's isolated
Spain is still staggering from the, rav
ages of its civil war. This winter and
spring Franco faces his most serious
i economic crisis since he came to power
more than 10 years ago.
Virt sally Bankrupt
Spain is virtually bankrupt. Wheat,
its most important crop, has fallen to
half its pre-civil war rate of produc
tion. Shortages of fertilizer and farm
machinery are apt to make it slump
even further. In recent years Franco
imported wheat from Argentina but
last fall President Peron refused to ex- -tend
any more credit until a $300,000,
000 xlebt had been settled.
In desperation Franco, one of the
world's bitterest foes of Communism,
is seeking both loans and wheat from
any country even from behind the
Iron Curtain.
In this dilemma. Franco finds cer
tain factors favoring bis cause. One is
the cold war which has di vided Europe
into Communist and anti-Communist
camps. The other is his solid political
control of the country with the army,
the church, and the Falangists on his
side.
Shifting Pressures
With the increasing tensions of the
cold war, there has been mounting
pressure in many parts of the world
for a more realistic, long range view
of th Spanish situation. Many nations
in the U.N, which withdrew diplo-
FIVE
ritory where Russia has special privi
leges. The broadcast said MacKiernan
tied to India after riding horseback
hundreds of miles to instruct bandit
chiefs how to oppose Communism in
the wild back country.
Creeping Blockade
In Germany, the Russians alternate
ly raised and lowered their "creeping
blockade" of trucks to Berlin at the
west zone border, 100 miles from the
German capital.
The highway tieup is infinitesimal
compared to. the flow of supplies over
the railway system which hauls about
nine-tenths of west Berlin supplies.
"The Russians made their point"
one military spokesman said. "They
showed the Germans Berlin is still in
the middle of the Russian zone. When
ever they think the west Berliner is
getting too cocky, they turn these
things off and on like a spigot"
An AP correspondent wrote from
Berlin that the Gestapo is about to
make its reappearance in east Ger
many this time to protect Commu
nism '
Viet-Nam Regimes
The Kremlin announced diplomatic
recognition of the Indochina Republic
of Viet-Nam headed by Moscow
trained Ho Chi Minn. This is a rebel
regime opposed to the Viet-Nam gov
ernment headed by Bao Dai. former
emperor of Annam, supported by the
French.
The Moscow statement preceded
publication of American and British
greetings to Bao Dai. The British have
indicated they will recognize Bao Dai's
government next week. Secretary of
State Dean Acheson cabled Bao Dai
that the U.S. "looked forward to es
tablishing closer relations with his
state." '
I ill 1 Ak&hy
fc-HjriaaXi :
J:t : -15 J
IIll
matie recognition from Spain three
years ago, have quietly returned their
ambassadors to Madrid.
Americans have pointed out that the
U. S. has ambassadors in eastern Euro
pean countries whose policies it does
not approve any more than it does
those of Spain.
Military strategists stres? Spain's
key geographic position at the mouth
of the Mediterranean, her Pyrenees
mountains which form a defensive
ring across the continent and her
deep naval anchorages and staging
areas. All these would be vital if war
should come.
Last month Secretary of State Dean
Acheson announced a new American
Farms
Fertilizer Shortage
Southern and middle western farm
ers may be especially hard hit by a
fertilizer shortage curtailing crop pro
duction this year.
The shortage stems from a strike
since last November of 1,500 workers
at the Carlsbad. N. mines of three
firms which turn out 83 per cent of the
nation'! potash, a primary ingredient
in fertilizer.
A high official of the National Labor
Relations Board is said to regard the
potash shortage as potentially more
serious to the nation than either the
coal dispute or a steel shutdown.
About 60 per cent of the country's
five major crops (citrus fruits, sugar,
tobacco, cotton and small grains) are
dependent upon fertilizer.
The Department of Agriculture esti
mates about 600,000 tons of potash are
needed for fertilizer before April 1.
The plants resumed operations by
hiring replacements for the strikers on
January 23 and now claim production
at 50 per cent of capacity with 750
workers. It takes about six weeks for
raw potash to be delivered to the
farmer as fertilizer.
The striking union the CIO Mine.
Mill and Smelter Workers is one of
10 facing possible expulsion from the
CIO on charges of being Communist
dominated. Phone
Rules Are Rules
A Cleveland physician reluctantly
has ended his amateur long distance
radio-telephone service ior the men
stationed on Guam.
Two months ago, Dr. Frank M.
Natherson talked by short wave with
the Pacific island outpost and learned
the lonely military and civilian per
sonnel would like to talk to their state
side families but there was no tele
phone connection.
Dr. Natberson rigged S telephone to
his transmitter and soon soldiers on
the island talked .with their families
over his radio via long distance tele
phone. In the two months this system
operated. Dr. Natherson estimates
about 100 persons in 60 cities through
out the nation used the hookup.
Every afternoon except Sunday, the
sympathetic doctor spent an hour or
so at his microphone after he finished
his office hours.
But Ohio Bell, investigating the
large number of long distance calls,
learned what was going on. The com-,
pany said although it was sympathetic
with the cause and grateful for the
revenue, the hookup would have to
cease. The Federal Conimunications
Commission, it pointed out, will not
permit two-way telephone conversa
tions to be broadcast 1 s
"We think yon are doing a fine
thing," said BeU, "but a rule is a rale."
The doctor obeyed with regret Far
one thing he remembered a soldier on
Guam, estranged from his wife, who
made up by long distance and now Is
awaiting the end of his enlistment to
go home to her.
MM mts Rm.tr.ed AP MmHmn
War Aids
p vntssi --""-sW
policy on Spain. It is not exactly a
right-about-face but it is distinctly a
turn from the left
Acheson said this country favors
sending an ambassador to Madrid if
the U.N. will repeal its 1946 resolu
tion. That move failed, he said, in its
intended purpose to weaken Franco
and actually tended to strengthen his
regime.
New U. S. PeUey
Acheson said this new policy should
not be construed as American endorse
ment of the Franco regime. In fact he
declared, it is difficult to see Spain as
a full member ot the community of
free western . nations without drastic
Quotes
Harry Armstrong, 71, composer
of "Sweet Adeline": "Anybody
can sing it and sound like a good
singer. It's about the only song
you can sing standing up, sitting
down or stretched out flat on the
floor."
Mrs. M. X. Dean of Jackson,
Miss, after watching the execu
tion of a man convicted of killing
one of her sons: Tm satisfied."
Mrs. Dark Irene Kindred, 28,
illiterate Birmingham, Eng,
mother, found guilty of neglect
ing her six children, suggested
that she be sterilized: "I dont
want any more children."
Councillor James F. Coffey, at
whose plea the Boston City Coun
cil banned from its session 14
Japanese sent to the U. S. for re
orientation in democratic princi
ples: "We are feeding them,
clothing them, but don't educate
them so they can start another
war in a few years."
How Could
It's always; embarrassing to sailors when a
ship goes aground. ;
American bluejackets everywhere were bluer
than their shirts at the plight of the U.S.S. Mis
souri, ignominiously stuck in the mud of Chesa
peake Bay off Norfolk, Va. What especially
galled Navy men was the fact that this should
happen to the "Mighty Mo," 43,000-ton giant of
the fleet a Presidential favorite and the scene
of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.
To cap the climax. Adm. Forrest P. Sherman
was sworn in as new Chief of Naval Operations
at a time when jhis active force did not include
a single battleship. The "Big Mo" was the only
dreadnaught
The first and, as it turned out. pnny effort to
haul the Missouri out of the mud was aoade with
a fleet of snore than. 20 tugs. After that salvage
Franco
internal changes In such fields as civil
liberties, religious freedom and labor
unions.
So far as economic assistance is con
cerned, Acheson said "Spain is free to
consult with the Export-Import Bank
... on the same basis as any other
country."
The U. N. General Assembly is
scheduled to meet next September al
though aspecial session may be called
this spring to eonuder such pressing
problems as the Chinese recognition
question. Observers predict that when
American countries will move for for--
i .i mi -,t; M
Spain.
Taxes
Render Unto Caesar ...
The government is launching a
study to learn how many billions of
dollars is lost each year to tax-dodgers.
A check of government statistics
shows that almost 50 billion dollars
of estimated personal income fails to
appear in annual income tax returns.
A substantial portion of this such
as income of persons making less than
$600 a year, certain military pay, re
lief payments and pensions is not
taxable.
However, some authorities feel cer
tain a sizeable portion of this SO bil
lion represents money that should
have been reported on income tax re
turns, and wasnt
Chairman Robert L. Doughton
(D-NC) of the house Ways and
Means Committee estimates that if
taxpayers paid the government every
dollar owed it. this would nearly bal
ance the budget without an increase
in taxes.
It Happen to the 'Big Mo'?
- f
', , ... . ,
experts snipped her of fuel, stores and ammuni
tion to lessen her draft front 26 to 28 feet The
huge vessel actually weighs snore than 50.000
tons when fuQy fueled and manned for action.
Finally Wednesday after two weeks aground,
the huge ship was pulled clear. Adm. W. H. P.
Blandy. Atlantic fleet commander, leccived a
fitting gomg-away present on the day ha re
tired. It was a terse wire: "Missouri reports
for duty."
Meanwhile the Navy unwrapped a wartime
secret A sister ship of the "Big Mo" ran into
the rocky coast of Maine during the war.
The U.S.S. Iowa, commissioned a year before
the Missouri, sideswiped a ledge of underwater
rocks in The summer of ICO on one of her first
runs, even before joining the fleet She was re
paired in the Boston Navv Y
The Coal
Question
MR. TRUMAN, whose dislikt
for the Taft-Hartley Labor
Law is a matter of record, hag
sidestepped it with an appeal to
miners to resume soft coal digging
for 70 days while a Presidential
fact-finding board studies their dis
pute with the operators.
The President urged John I. Lewis.
United Mine Workers chief, and
spokesmen for the nation's coal oper
ators, to accept his proposal "in the
national interest"
He did not mention the Taft-Hartley
provision for use of injunction in na
tional emergencies. His telegram to
the coal labor and management bosses
was phrased to skirt the question of
the existence of an emergency.
!A Warning
The telegrjam did contain a warn
ing, however. It declared that while it
is national policy to foster voluntary
settlements of labor disputes without
compulsion, nevertheless:
"The government can no longer
stand by . . J and permit the continu
ance of conditions which have now
come to hare tach a serious effect
upon publicjinterest"
For his 70-day truce which would
start Monday, the President specified
"normal" coal production. That would
bar the three-day week which most
coal miners j have been working, as
well as the sporadic full-scale strikes
which involved more than 100.000
UMW members last week.
Te Represent Public
Mr. Truman's board, named solely
by him, would be composed of three
citizens "representing the public."
with none from industry, government
or labor. i .
While miners or operators might re
ject the board's findings, Mr. Truman
proposed specifically that it have the
power to recommend "procedures and
grounds for a fair, equitable settle
ment" A T-H board has no such powers of
recommendation. It is limited to find
ing facts.
Mr. Truman's truce would run from
Monday when coal production would
Co back to "normal" His board would
make its report to him within 60 days.
leaving 10 days for continued digging
while both labor leader Lewis and the
operators, aided by federal mediator
Cyras Ching, would try to reach a set
tlement on the basis of the board's
proposals.
Congressional reaction to the Presi
dent's move was mixed.
In Short...
Assessed: By the CIO United Auto
Workers, a special SI -a-week levy mm '
all working members to help finane
the Chrysler strike; over the maxi
mum 12 weeks, this would pour a total
of nearly $10,000,000 into the union
strike chest
Offered: By Whittaker Chambers,
to take a lie detector test to check his
charges that Alger Hiss slipped U.S.
secret documents to him for relay to
Moscow. ,
Advocate: By the American Legion,
a program of universal military train,
ing instead of continuance of die draft
law.
Reported: By U. S. Steel Corp,
1949 net income of $163,958,808, and
ks highest profit sinca 1929.
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