Enough Atom Bombs For Major War

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1949, Page 5

Enough Atom Bombs For Major War

Received Thursday, 7 p.m. , WASHINBTON, June 29. The United States has enough I atom bombs to fight a major wai and all-out production would provide 1000 atom bombs in twc years, the magazine United Statet News and "World, said today. Computalions based on information publiely available, showec that the United States had buill up a minimum stockpile of be tween 200 and 250 atom bombt but some estimates jilaeed th( figure as high, as 1400. Quoting Mr. J. A. CampbelU a researeh scientist and specialisi in atomic energy, as saying thai eaeh bonib contained about 301bt of fissionable material in its explosive core, the magazine computed that as 61bs of this material were produced daily in 1947, at lenst one new bomb could be produced once every five days. Mr. Campbell said eaeh bomb cost 1,000,000 dollars. The magazine pointed out that the production of material had increased considerably since 1947 but even at the minimum rate, the atom bomb output amounted to 75 yearly. _ » It said that the United States'

Atomic Energy Commission's report on test explosions at Eniwetok Island indieated that new superatomie bombs had been developed, and added that the Commission is prepai'ing for astembly line production of the new bomb. ^ An other atomic scientist, Dr. K. U Lapp, was quoted as saying Tiat atomic dust sprays and other forms of non-explosives weapons, would not he practical as they could not be stockpiJed because of quick deeay. He^also jDointed )Ut thaj sueh sprays could not disperse a high degree of radioictivity because excessively large

amounts of radioactive elemenfs would be required to be deposited accurately in the target area. The mtfgazine News of the Week, reported that the " Western European Union military committee has been informed that within the last few months, American reeording instruments had detected evidence of several ehain reactions set in motio'n bv atomic explosions either in Siberia or Soviet Central Asia. There was no suggestion yet, however, that the. Russians have made a complete atom bomb."