War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; A Bigger Bang for the Buck; 103; Atomic Tests in Nevada

If you were driving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City on U.S. Highway 91 through St. George Utah population four thousand five hundred sixty two. Just a short way from the state line of Nevada. It's. 5:00 in the morning. Pretty deserted at this hour. Everything is closed down. Everyone's asleep. Everyone that is except a milkman been delivering over the same route for 12 years. Never missed a day and the police officer patrolled the lonely downtown beat and another night owl keeps his place open 24 hours for tourists coming through. Since the rest of the town was soundlessly only our night owls saw that great flash in the western sky. And atomic bomb at the Nevada Test Site One hundred and forty miles to the west. But it's old stuff the same George routine. They've seen a lot of them

ever since 1951. Nothing to get excited about anymore. War. Thriving Community went about its business. Youngsters are on their way to school. Housewives are starting on the shores of their. Merger and opening their doors. In the fo'c's'le hole listening to the radio program. Ladies and gentlemen we interrupt this program to bring you important new. Word has just been received from the Atomic Energy Commission that due to a change in wind direction the residue from this morning's atomic detonation is drifting in the direction of Saint George. It is suggested that everyone remain indoors for one hour or until further notice. There is no danger. This is simply routine Atomic Energy Commission safety

procedure to prevent unnecessary exposure to radiation. It is better to take cover during this period. Parents need not be alarmed about children if school no recess is outdoors will be permitted. Please stay indoors and advise your friends and neighbors who may not hear this announcement to do likewise. And of the people of think yours took cover. After all of some of them have questions about atomic test questions like why do we have to test. And the answers are found in still another question. The question of national survival. For testing of atomic weapons goes on for the vital reason our national defense. We have no choice. To fall behind any other nation in atomic progress as a motional risk. To assure our defense. We have to keep our atomic strength of top level by testing new ideas and principles and applying these principles in weapon.

That's why we have the Nevada test site. It's sort of a backyard workshop. The most unusual scientific workshop in the world. 640 square miles of desert and mountains 65 miles northwest from Las Vegas set them some of the long legal staters the world has ever seen. But first barren region is not barren of brains. Some of the outstanding minds of the nation work in the sprawling outdoor laboratory for the scientists who have harnessed those great forests and open the door to the Gautami gave. The military men who may have to apply this force in the defense of our nation. Technicians who was assembled the complex instruments and equipment and lots of others who build who plan who recorded the who maintained security and the countless tasks essential to this important project. These men are a hero for a vital purpose since we have no atomic

monopoly. We must continue to increase our knowledge of atomic weapons to guarantee maximum military good time explained. But naturally the folks from St George as they look upon their silence simply wonder why weapons are tested the size of the United States instead of the far Pacific area. The answer is we need to involve testing areas in the vast applies only to the reaches of the mid-Pacific we test weapons of pre members. Only smaller bombs are tested inside the United States and these smaller devices are just as important to America's weapons strength as the larger ones could not be tested so quickly. If they had to be taken to the Pacific proving ground about 5000 miles from our western coast. Of Pacific tests is quite a job. Past operations out there are involved with nine thousand men like to complete cities of St. George. Then food and supplies to maintain those men. Obviously an operation like this takes

time months and months of time by the time of progress. Wait. So our need is pressing for a nearby test site a place where nuclear tests can be made frequently quickly and more economically. And by us in 1951. The Nevada test site was set up for the first in a series of consonantal tests that are part of our continuing atomic program. Because of the Nevada test site is closed. Scientists conduct a test on one day and return to their laboratories on the next to start evaluating results immediately. This greatly speeds up our weapons development program. And those problems that cannot be solved in a laboratory are taken to the outdoor workshop in Nevada. This is called ground zero all. Around the center point of the explosion. I located the instruments and equipment that are part of the diagnostic experimentation.

Which is scientific language meaning. Well what happened to the ideal work. And as you might expect there are some humdingers in the way of gadgets some we can map to describe for secured of these sake. Some we can mention like the high speed camera that takes pictures of 1 3 million from a second or the instruments that measure heat to millions of degrees and the light intensity hundreds of times brighter than the sun. Scientists must know exactly what occurs before during and after a nuclear explosion. While most field tests are held largely to answer the questions of the scientists these tests are also designed to answer as many other questions as possible. The armed forces for instance they've got the mole military scientists conduct experiments to record and evaluate the effects of atomic weapons for training purposes. Military personnel observe from foxholes.

We also need to know if military equipment can take it all types are positioned at varying distances from ground zero all structures also play an important part not only in military studies but also in civil defense programs to determine blast and heat effect. Family type dwellings are constructed to right on the site. Civil defense is also concerned with the value of automobiles as shelters in an atomic attack. Biomedical tests using animals such as mice and the pigs for research subjects are conducted to gain important information about radiation effects on cells and tissue. And a lot of other government agencies also set up special tests and experiments. Finally the work is done. Preparations are completed. Another valuable test is ready. SOF day is tomorrow morning. The early morning air is cool crisp the outdoor laboratory workshop has

deserted the asylum.