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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1950)
i i TElf MEDFOHD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Wadneiday. March 22, 1950 Many U.S. Targets Subject to Devastation By Hydrogen Bomb ivniiAwln la the lecond of fix dlt- ratrhe prepared by the American So ciety of Newspaper Editor' committee on atomic Information In collaboration with the bulletin of the atomic aclen- tUU, and dlitriDuteo oy wiw vm 1'rcii.) There is no hydrogen bomb "secret," any more than there was ever an American-held basic secret of the atom. Nor is It a secret to General issimo Stalin that the hydrogen bomb is a weapon particularly suited to destroying Americas civilization. , , A hydrogen bomb, when and if one is built, may be able to demolish New York or Washing ton in a split second. The United ENJOY THIS GREAT STRAIGHT BOURBON $460 $030 W45Qt. Pint "The iiffi Bourbon Buy Ml Mi of the StHx Straight Bourbon. Whiskey 86 Proof National Distillers Products Corp., N.Y. Piy those bills with caih. Loans on your salary, furni ture or automobile. With payments to fit your income. Loans from $50 to $500 On Your Salary, Furniture or Automobil Up lo 24 Monthl to Repay SEE AMERICAN FINANCE CORPORATION Lexrette Bid's. Llcenio S-285 Room 210-211 Liconto M-362 PHONE 2-8886 RENT A CAR Daily's U-Drive and BODY and PAINT SHOP Southern Orrnon's Oldest and Finest 29 So. Bartlett Medtord States has manv such targets, some within reach of a bomb- carrying submarine or freighter that could creep into a harbor and deposit its cargo. The Soviet Union has but a few: Its industries are scattered and its major cities land-locked and well ringed by defenses. Some Open Secreli These are some of the open secrets about the hydrogen bomb discussed in the current issue of the Bulletin of the atomic scien- "sts- . ... The Bulletin was founded four and a half years ago by scientific men who helped make the A-bomb, then became concerned with helping master it. The March Issue is an H-bomb issue, dedicated to the proposition that Americans have not debated the issues exploded by this and other new weapons. When it comes to the H-bomtTs basic scientific facts, the fact is there are no facts to hide. It is now common knowledge that top scientists believe you can set off an explosion in some forms of hydrogen, using the ex plosion of an ordinary a-bomb as the trigger. In 1946 the Bulletin of the atomic scientists received a copy of a book by a distinguished Aus trian scientist named Prof. Hans Thirring. It contained a whole chapter about the reactions on which a super-bomb might rely. Refrain From Printing The Bulletin's editors refrain ed from printing this or other articles like it, for fear of giving the appearance that the United States was building this bomb. This week they reprint Thir ring's article, and this week they say: "These facts were familiar to nuclear scientists everywhere in the world even before the dis covery of uranium fission." An H-bomb, we now learn by reading Thirring and others, would be made not from ordi nary hydrogen the stuff in your drinking water but from a rarer "heavy hydrogen called deuterium. The deuterium will be mixed, it seems likely, with a still rarer "heavy heavy hydro gen" known as tritium. ) People already know how to separate heavy hydrogen from ordinary hydrogen, in a standard and fairly inexpensive proced ure. You can make small quant ities of tritium by .bombarding the element lithium with neu trons in an ordinary atomic pile. While you could theoretically use an infinite amount of hydro gen in the H-bomb and theoret ically make a bomb 1,000 times more powerful than the A-bomb in practice it might have to be smaller, lust for convenience. Dr. Louis Kidenour of Illinois university has observed: Demanda On Intentions "To say the fusion bomb would be 2, 7, 10, 100 or 1,000 times as devastating as the convention Hi fission bomb (the A-bomb) is to speak from ignorance, the el fective size will depend upon the intentions and skill of its de signers." The possibility remains open that the H-bomb might be more compact than one might other wise expect. For the higher the density, or compactness, of heavy hydrogen, the better the chances of an explosive reaction. You might compress and liq uefy hydrogen gas at extremely low temperatures, then, and have a lot of explosive in a transport able oacknue. If a bomb were 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiro shima A-bomb, it would cause almost complete destruction up to a 10-mile radius, and fatul flush burns up to 20 miles or more. Such a bomb could ob literate almost nil of greater New York or Moscow or London. Scientists today know the basic H-bomb theory, but can not be sure until they try that it will work. Dr. Hans A. Bcthe, one H-bomb architect, has pre dicted that completing it will take "several years." Other esti mates have been shorter the time may depend on how hard we labor. Could Dwarf A-Bomb The H-bomb, if it works, could easily dwarf today's A-bomb in deadly radioactivity, just as in blast power. For the H-bomb re-1 action would eject millions of ! the penetrating particles called neutrons. j The neutron shower would i turn some of the nitrogen in the air Into carbon 14, a radioactive form of carbon that lasts thou sands of years. This will be ab sorbed by plants and get into all forms of life. The effect on human genetics alone the way the radiation could alter our genes and affect future generations might be terrible. It is even true, Albert Einstein now says, that "radio active poisoning of the atmos phere, and hence annihilation of any life on earth, has been brought within the range of tech nical possibilities." On a broadcast by the Univer sity of Chicago round table last month, four important scientists raised the possibility of "rigging" an H-bomb to produce even more radioactivity than normal. One, Dr. Leo Szilard of Chi cago university, has explained: "If it becomes possible to de tonate practically unlimited quantities of heavy hydrogen, then it automatically becomes possible to release very large quantities of radioactive sub stances in the air simply by incorporating into the H-bombs elements which become radio active when they absorb neu trons." Szilard raised the issue of na tional dispersal moving people and industries from fat, easy tar gets. He said that to move 30 to 60 million people from big cities might cost 15 to 25 billion dollars a year for 10 years. (The entire defense budget today is 13 billion dollars.) He said that with the possi bility of H-bombs rigged for radioactivity, mankind could "Reach a new day when the loser of a war (will) have the desperate option of inflicting death on the whole world." One of his fellows said we must realize that the cost of building H-bombs, then, could be "not only the cost of the bomb, but the fantastic cost of proper dispersal, which would protect cities from blast effects if not from radioactivity and permit us at least more security than we would have" otherwise. David E. Lilienthal, former U. S. atomic energy commission chairman, accused these four sci entists of creating "growing hopelessness and helplessness" and arousing "emotions that play into" communist hands. "What he said we did not say to scare people, nor did we say it for lack of restraint," replied Szilard. "The reason for speak ing up Is rather this: Neither the president nor the atomic energy commission has explained to the American people what the decis ion to develop hydrogen bombs will involve, what the meaning of the 'hydrogen bomb' is, or what the cost of the indispens able defense measures must be. Yet these are things the people must know." "It might very well be true that the people will decide against relocation, and thut con gress will not vote, funds for it," he added. People Will Pay "But if that happens, and the atomic arms race continues, and the cold war goes on and on, there may be a price. It is the people who will pay the price, and it must be their decision to pny it, and they will have to discuss it before they will be able to decide." Two of the round table par ticipants Cornell's Dr. Bethe and Illinois university's Dr. Fred erick Seitz are among 12 phy sicists who have said the United States should build the H-bomb only If It pledges never to be first to use It Smart Little Dress Murder Suspect Held in Van Buren, Ark. h 1 k&ji9rtesi piece Just a straight tubular for the skirt! Simple crochet for the top, too. Presto! A frock for best, inexpensive to make. , It's the fashion a crocheted frock done in string! Pattern 7238; directions; sizes 2, 4, 6. Our improved pattern visual with easy-to-see charts and pho tos, and complete directions makes needlework easy. Send TWENTY CENTS in coins for this pattern to The Mail tribune, Household Arts Dept., P. O. box 5640. Chicago 80, 111. Print plainly NAME. ADDRESS with PATTERN NUMBER. Our ALICE BROOKS Needle work catalogue is the best ever! Send fifteen cents, in coins, now. for your copy. Illustrations of right to use such a bomb, no matter how richteous its cause." they asserted. This bomb is no longer a weapon of war, but a means of extermination of whole popula tions. Its use would be a be trayal of all standards of moral ity and of Christian civilization itself." Yet many scientists, while equally horrified by devastation and war, fear we may be facing war of survival, and that the question to ask is "Is this bomb practical? not "Is it moral?" Most would probably agree with Dr. Louis Ridenour, Illinois graduate dean, writing in the current Scientific American: Old Way More Unpleasant "Once it is decreed that people are to be killed, the 'moral' ques tion is fully settled. The instru ments of that killing are not at all affected with human or moral questions. It was probably far more unpleasant to be disem boweled by the 18-inch sword of the Roman soldier than it will be to vanish in the flash of a nuclear reaction." In his quarrel with Szilard and his fellows. David Lilienthal also made a statement which would indicate that he and these scien tists may not be far anart after all. "To face the dangers of a very tough world, what we need is not to be overwhelmed with these dangers, but to understand them." said Lilienthal. "and with courage and resolution and pa tience face up to them and see them through. We have done it "We believe no nation has the before, we can do it again." Columbia, Mo., Mar. 22 (U.R) Police Chief Eugene Pond will fly to Van Buren, Ark., today to question two suspects in the rape-slaying of 14-year-old Janett Christman. Pond declined to Identify the men, but said one had a news paper account of the murder in his pocket. "He has a peculiar explana tion of how he happened to have it," Pond said. Pond would not talk about the "peculiar explanation" be cause "I don't want to give him a chance to set up an alibi." One of the men, Pond said, was a "Kansas City taxicab driver." Janett, whose 14th birthday was yesterday, was buried in an Easter suit she bought with Medford Airman Goes To New Post Of Duty Sgt, Raymond E. Minger left Medford Monday for Georgia where he is stationed with the money sitter. she earned as a baby air force. He has been visiting with his parenis, Mr. and Mrs. Ray A. Minger, 2238 Aloha street. Sergeant Minger recently com pleted one enlistment period, and has served the last 18 months at Vance air force base in Enid, Okla. He has reenlisted for six years. En route to Georgia he plan to visit his sister, Mrs. Lono Guilfoyle, and her family, in La Grange, Mo. Hingham, Mass. (U.R) This town, incorporated in 1635, has its first set of triplets. Donna, Deborah and Dianne Antoine, daughters of a policeman. Always Well-dressed ?0679e$ Here's the smart tiling to sew! A sunsemble that fits you and your plans just beautifully! En joy the sun in this frock; add pert jacket when you buzz off to town. Pattern 9469; 12, 14, 16, 18, 20; 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42. Size 16 sunfrock and jacket, 5ls yards 35-inch. This easy-to-use pattern gives perfect fit. Complete, illustrat ed Sew Chart shows you every step. Send TWENTY-FIVE CENTS In coins for this pattern to MARIAN MARTIN, care of Med ford Mail Tribune, Pattern Dopt., P. O. Box 6740, Chicago. 80, 111. Print plainly YOUR NAME. ADDRESS, SIZE, STYLE NUMBER. LOOK! A book of easy-sew Marian Martin Patterns for spring. Send 15 cents in coins for your copy and plan all the love ly new clothes you want! Pat terns for everybody, plus a Free Pattern for a handbag printed right in the book. designs for crocheting, knitting, j embroidery, toys, quilts, chil- j dren's clothes. Free needlework j pattern is printed in book. LOCATION OLD GORE RANCH THE NEW STOOD IT Operated by Frances Russell 3 Miles Wesr of Medford on Jacksonville Highway thtt revolutionary development in iprinkler irrigation which allows one man to move Ji to mile of pipe at one time in a matter of minutes . . . after pipe it automatically drained through patented drain valves I Ends hard labor and high costs of mov ing pipe by putting iystr-n on wheels. AUTOMATIC DRAINING The STOUT WHEEL MOVE SYS TEM is drained automatically through patented drain valves once the pressure is cut off. Lines will drain to permit moving in approximately S minutes. Weight of the line is thus re duced to a point where it can be easily moved as a section by one man. SAVtS LABOR Prior to the development of the STOUT WHEEL MOVE SPRIN KLER IRRIGATION SYSTEM the hard labor and costs of moving pipe often overshadowed many of the bene fits and conveniences derived from sprinkler irrigation. STOUT WHIEL MOVi IRRIGATION is available for any new installations, large or imall ... yet has been designed to permit easy conversion from any present hand move system . . . through nse of the STOUT Converter Coupler. Conversion from a hind-move system to a new, labor saving STOUT WHEEL MOVE SYSTEM does not require purchase of new pipe. , TTME2p.m .7 Thursday & Friday I jfpgf Nome L Addren 3 Cily lOUT IIIIOATION. DK. kinion station. Portland 17, orioon Pleaie tend mo complete Information concerning STOUT WHEEL MOVE IRRIGATION. Valley Epuipment Co. Pacific Highway South Medford, Oregon Phone 2-9441 waits new life (jive 1 uenuine oil paint-not a water mixture. Easy to apply Dries quickly. Easily washed. One coat really covets old wallpaper, plaster, kalsomine, etc. New SO Ail Par 'Paste Colon W.Ot Gal. FREE DELIVERY SERVICE STAMPER & GOFF BROS. HUMPHREY MOTORS Proudly Presents to Jackson County FIRST EASY METHOD SCHOOL in OREGON Adult Auto Driver Training NOW CN DISPLAY Qualified Instructors Fully Insured Complete Dual Control Car Approved By Traffic Officials Member National Safety Council Member Medford Safety Council EAST METHOD AOTO DRIVER TRAINING SCHOOL U 1 MffM t9tMt "Learn in Safety to Drive Safely Call 2-5203 for Information and Appointments 225 W. Main Phone 2-2939
