THE Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPT. 30, 1946 LESSONS FROM BIKINI

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 31, 30 September 1946, Page 4

THE Bay of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, SEPT. 30, 1946 LESSONS FROM BIKINI

A MONTH after the under-water atomic bomb test at Bikini it becomes fairly clear that earlier reports suggesting that the capital ship had had its day may be discounted. Mr Hanson Baldwin, correspondent of the “New York Times,” one of the soundest and most practical correspondents of the day, summarising opinions and observations, concludes that the atomic bomb as at present constructed does not spell ' the doom of navies. A final opinion cannot, of course, be given until the deep-water test is carried out, and that is more than four months distant, but the two tests so far conducted have not brought catastrophe to a target fleet, and certain definite conclusions can be drawn from them. It has to be remembered that both bombs were detonated in circumstances that would not be likely to be repeated in war.

The air drop was over a large motionless fleet which was unmanned, so that no offensive action could be taken against the bomb-carrying plane, while the under-water test was made with a bomb specifically placed to best advantage in the midst of an' immobile fleet, and detonated from an arranged distance. In other words, the tests were made under conditions that should have yielded maximum results. Of the vessels sunk as a consequence of the under-water burst only one disappeared when the explosion occurred. The others damaged at the time could probably have been taken to the nearest base or beached in the hope of being salvaged later. But those of the crews who survived the initial blast and who might have saved the ships would almost certainly have died later from the effects of radio-activity, which appear to have been particularly terrible and lingering in the water explosion. Just how many men might have 'died in the moment of the horror and subsequently cannot even be estimated, but it is possible that entire crews would have been wiped out by a combination of blast, heat—lasting considerably longer in the second test than in the first —and radio-activity. The loss of thousands of trained personnel could in war be as important a factor—perhaps even more important—than the loss of ships. If it becomes accepted that the present type of atomic bomb will not as a general rule be suited for use against naval power its deadliness against congested areas cannot be minimised. What was achieved at Hiroshima and Nagasaki can be looked upon but as the beginning of the atomic terror, and if reports are to be believed, Russia, for one, is taking no risks regarding the future, since she is planning cities and towns to be spread over as great a space as possible instead of concentrating in the least space around one central point. Russia, with her vast spaces, can do that, but'most of the other-na-tions cannot, and so they remain specially vulnerable to the most diabolical weapon yet devised by man. Professor Oliphant has given it as his opinion that two hundred atomic bombs could wipe out Britain, by which he means that her ability to resist attack would be made completely negative. As such a result could be achieved in one unheralded attack, words that tend to belittle the bomb and its effects become dangerous and foolish. Bikini has taught the imperative need for rigid international control of this frightful invention.

Soldiers Cut Hay The frontier Army of Poland has provided thousands of soldiers for hay-cutting and harvesting. Round Stettin and in Lower Silesia, the soldiers cut vast areas of hay, and are now bringing in the corn. Where The Butter Goes One-sixth of the annual production of butterfat in New Zealand was consumed on the local market, said Mr A. J. Sinclair, of Te Awamutu, a member of the Dairy Industry Council, in an address to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in the course of a review of the position of the dairy industry and the negotiations for a higher price for the consumer.

Flood Damage The County Engineer (Mr C. H. Brebner) in his report to the Whakatane County Council at its last meeting stated that the recent heavy rainfall had brought down slips on the Ohope Hill Road, the Mokorua Road and the Wainui Road, and that a high shovel had had to be used to remove them. The three roads had been closed for short periods. The bridge opposite Miller’s Store had been undermined and would have to be re-erected, whilst the bridge at the foot of the Ohope Hill had suffered similarly and would require piles to support it. It appeared that most of the heavy rain had fallen close to the coast, and the damage was corffined to this area.