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Zurich Herald, 1945-08-30, Page 6ATOMIC POWER AGE WOULD BRING DRASTIC SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGES IN WORLD o;.3itt�iuimla:ait This Canadian mine is one of the greatest sources of uranium in the world. Uranium is material used in the new atomic bomb. It is found in pitchblende, which is also the radium. These few buildings make up the plant of the El Dorado Mining and Smelting over by Canada to "guarantee a government supply of uranium." By DR. FRANK THONE Not even the sky will he the limit to the world-shaking effects of atomic power, if science can harness this spectacular new dis- covery to peacetime use. if atomic power is technologi- cally manageable, if atoms of the more abundant elements (say sodi- ium, or magnesium, or silicon) can be put in a sufficiently unstable state for practical use, and if the ecouoniis of the whole procedure can be kelt right -sire up, then the world we live in will be a fantastic place imleed. Y-,.1 can take as many flights of fancy on yam' mental wings as you like. Here are just a few of the 1•ossibilities: jet propulsion of aircraft, and of ships and land vehicles as well, could be enormousy simplified. An atomic jet -engine might con- .: ist simply of a casing with a "disintegrator" suspended in it. -.On this, watts might be r'ermit- :ted to drill Split into oxy,i.:en and hvtlr_t .:n, which would Immedi- ately rite as steni:r, ihie would provide a light power -source cost- ing almost nothing for fuel and nothing for rubrication. Space Ships Possible Or, if one of the abundant and cheap elements, like silicon from corntnon sand, could be persuaded to split up and supply atomic power, rocket -propelled space ships could soon become realities, even carrying human passengers, if hardy enough individuals could be found to man them—which would undoubtedly be easy enough. One or more of these jet or rocket units could be secured to . ends of short crosspieces on a re- volving shaft — and behold, you have a simple but efficient reac- tion -turbine, ready to run a big electric generator-- or to turn tzi- , rectly ail -the wheels in a factory. Despite the warning in Presi- dent Truman's first announce- ment, in which he stated that ap- plication of atomic power to the tasks of peace must await a long tourist of researoh and develop - 'fent, speculation about its postwar ,effects is inevitable. BURMA_STAR Will there be nu further need for coal, or oil, or water power? Are stocks based on these . com- modities and the utilities con- suming them destined to hit bot- tom and never come up again? Will cheap power be so plentiful that even Hottentots ran own whole batteries of milking ma- chines? Will atomic power, in short, bring on an earthly para- dise after it has swiftly finished its present job of raising concen- trated hell: No dogmatic, hard-and-fast an- swers can be given as yet. We just haven't facts enough. The questions have to be met with other questions. Here are two or three: How far are we from practical application of atomic power for purposes less violent, more con- trolled, than bombings? If it al- ways develops in such shattering, blasting outbursts it may take a long time to harness it. Remember, one of the .first at- tempts at an internal combustion engine was a Frenchman's inven- tion, in which gunpowder was to be the fuel It was not success- ful. Atomic "Fuel" It has • been suggested that the energy of atomic disintegration be used indirectly, to avoid this violence of action. Minute quan- tities of an atomic "fuel" might be released at a time, in contact with .water, to generate steam. That might work, or it might "crack" the water into hydrogen and oxygen, forming an explo- sive mixture. There'll be no way of knowing until it's tried. So we come back to the President's declaration that there willhave to be a. lot of research first. Is uranium,.. a0n gently the only - element used in the new bombs, likely to be the sole source of atomic power? If so, the question may become pretty much an aca- demic one, unless much larger hod- ies of uranium ores can be dis- covered. There isn't enough uran- ium in sight at present to power the world's industries. It would be like discovering that diamonds are basic raw source of Co., taken 'MHO times better than coal as fuel. We know the terrific pcwer re- leased by the new atomic bombs — brit we don't know a thing about how they are developed TIP may very. well turn out, when all the facts are released, that more`- power is required„ to extract the uranium from the ore than the bombs generate when they explode. There may be a significant hint to this effect in the fact that the three big plants where the bombs are made are all in areas where hydro electric power is abundant and cheap. If it"does cost more, in power, to put the atomic "fuel" into usable form, then good-bye Utopia! Wars are necessarily run on a damn -the - expense basis, but in peace we have to match our economics. If atomic power does become practicable and freely obtainable, we can slop worrying about the exhaustion of our oil fields, and let the coal beds lie undisturbed for as far ahead as we can foresee. By the same token, we shall have to find new jobs for everyone in • these industries, or support them' on the proceeds of the new atomic - powered ones. Political Weapon • Since atomic power continues, for the time being at least, to be obtainable only from uranium, there won't be so much of it. Other fuels will continue in use, but there will always be an un- easy uncertainty about their fu- ture. And we can doubtless ex- pect fevered prospecting for new bodies of uranium ore—"uranium rushes" like the gold rushes -of the past. Finally as song:as. ,atoanic.- pow__ er remains on, anything like its present basis, a terrific instrument of political and, social control will be held by the Federal Govern- ment. For, according to the official announcements, all patents cover- ing the precesses and uses of the material are assigned to the gov- ernment, which has spent two bil- lion dollars of taxpayers' money on the project. CAMPAIGN RIBBONS FOR CANADIAN FORCES ITALYSTAR • FRANCE AND GERMANY STAP PACIFIC STAN 1939-45 STAR AFRICA STAR DEFENCE MEDAL These campaign ribbons have been officially authorized by His Majesty, covering service in Africa, , Italy, the Pacific, Burma, Northwest Europe, and Atlantic convoy routes. The ribbon for these camp- , aign "Stars" and for the Defence Medal, which is for non -operational service outside the Western Hemisphere, is in short supply, but there should be sufficient by the end of November for those en- titled to wear them. Most home -coming personnel have already been issued with ribbons denoting service in Europeon theatres. 4. e' PREMIER'S LADY ROMPS WITH PET Unwed by her husband's elevation to Prince Minis ter of England, Mrs. the family dog on lawn at the family home at Stantt'tore, Middlesex, the pup have a strong grip on things. Clement R. Attlee plays with Looks like both the lady ,anal I ,` AT. LONE TAKES SALUTE OF TROOPS MARRING. V''J DA ' .. :G• ,r •Nr,�`.:9 ' ,•.,.,v r''4 i,'k, r ,y tsF av >��� t ut je,>Y /i 5�a�i�? :r. In the arch of the Peace Tower of the Parliament B uildings, Ottawa, Canadian's Governor-eseiagesseme General, the Earl of Athlone, takes the salute of Ottawa's official celebration of VI -DAY when hundreds of service- men and women marched past the reviewing stand. With his Excellency are Prime Minister King and '• Defence. Minister McNaughton. In the lower picture, Maj. Gen. B. M. Hoffmeister, General Officer Commanding the Canadian Army Pacific Force, spoke to all ranks at Brockville headquarters, thank- ing them for their splendid co-operation. GENERAL EISENHOWER WELCOMED TO MOSCOW Marshal Gregory Zukov, left, and General of the Army Dwight D Eisenhower, salute as the Amerrcan and Russian national anthems are played at Moscow airport. Generalissimo Stalin invited Eisenhower to review parade of 40,000 Soviet Athletes from atop Lenin's tomb. He is the first American accorded such an honor. DELIVERS NEWS Wz:..... Swiss Charge d'Affaires Max Grassli . delidered the good tidings that Japan had accepted surrender u'ltimat'um..Ide arrived at the office of Secretary of State James .Byrnes at 8:10pm., with a portfolio con- taining the historic answer. HIS ORDEAL IS • OVER Surrender of Japan brings freedom again to one of the war's early heroes—Lt. Gen, Jonathan Mayliew Wainwright, above, the man who took up the fight where MacArthur left off and held Bataan to the end, the znan who so inspired his troops that they changed the name of Corregidor to "Wainwright's Rock" Since he surrenderee Corregidor on May g, 1942, he has been a prisoner of the jags. 4,.