Friday. November |0l |96l SCARLET AND BLACK Page Three Debate Senate Decis'en 0n Atmospheric Tests To the Editor: 1 tear that the reckless resolution on atmospheric testing pass— ed by our Student Senate will display loi- public view an example 0! rash and emotional (lectston. This Student Senate has milder quatc knowledge of both the ialleut facts and the deiense con. el- el‘alions which must be included ing. in any decision on nuclear tes The said resolution will reflect little Credit on the students of this college who as persons of intellect and education should know better than to condemn out oi ignorance and fear, The resolution implies that regardless of what strategic gains the Soviet Union has derived irom its recent series at tests. these gains do not necessitate a resumption oi atmospheric testing by the United States 1 can only ask on what grounds the Senators base this implication, toi- even our nuclear experts have not yet had enough time to evaluate what progress the Soviet Union made in these tests. Should ottr nuclear scientists decide that Russian gains in these tests endanger the effectiveness of our deterrent nuclear force, and our pl‘eSldent Consequently deCldes that we can no longer avoid atmospheric tests without endangering;r national se- curity, I feel that we should be moved by this consideration of our national defenskover considerations of world opinion and over fears of possible danger from radioactive fallout. “Fear," President John F. Kennedy has stat‘ d. “is the oldest weapon in history. Throughout the liie of mankind it has been the resort of those who could not hope to prevail by reason and persuasion. it will be repelled today as it has been repelled in the past—not only by the steadiastncss oi irce men, but by the power oi arms which men will use to deicnd freedom." The resolution states that an aversion to forces which threaten human survrval has traditionally characte 'ch Grlnnell. I can only hope that an aversion to forces which threaten American security shall also traditionally characterize Grmnell. To The Editor: The iollowing quote from a pamphlet by Harrison Brown and James Real, published in 1060 and entitled “Community of Fear,” bears relevance to ac- tion that Grinnell is now pre— paring to take. It might be well to consider our actions with re- garol to the tone of this passage. “The Soviet Union has appai» ently, in the last iew years, in- stituted a civilan defense pro— gram oi substantial magnitude. It is probable that within the next two or three years the United States will embark on a crash shelter program for a large proportion of its citizens and some oi its industry, Once the shelter program is undei» way, it will consitute a signifi- cant retreat irom the idea of the obsolescence of war. Once the people are convinc— cd that they can survive the present state of the art of killing. a broad and niticant new habit pattern wrll have been introduced and accept» ed, one grotesquely ditierent To the Editor: In response to the question “How can we iustiiy atmospher- ic tests in view or the fact that we have many times over enough megatons to obliterate Russi. . Russia's testing of nuclear weapons in the high yield range was declared irresponsible be cause there is no strategic need to test bombs oi this yield as a much lower level yield will cliectively destroy strategic tar— gets; secondly, it was irrespon- sible in that the maximum ra- dius oi the tireball extended be- low ground level needlessly. (A surlace blast is inherently dirty; an air blast is dirty tothc e. tent of the fission trigger and vaporized bomb case) Russia's largest fusion bomb was obviously (and irresponsib- ly, i agree) detonated as a show oi iorce, with the extremely high iallout level utilized to make this show of’force even more iear ispiring No one can say whether the other lower yield detonations were uselc except Russian scientists who in— tcl‘ln’el the results. We must as suine that 1, they achieved val- uable data from these bursts, and 2, they have obviously achieved a tear reaction in the world (or at least on this came pus). These assumptions are based on 1, the tact that any data from a bomb adds to the store of Moran-tion on these wea- pons, especially upon utiliza— Pitul Reichs irom any we have known tor thousands oi years — that oi adiu ing ourselves to the idea or living in holes. From that time onward it will be simple to adjust ourselves to living in deeper holes. Tens oi thousands of years ago our Mousterian and Aurlgz nacian ancestors lived in caves, The vast knowledge which we have accumulated during the inc tervcning millennia will have brought us full cycle. The epic oi man’s journey upward into the light will have ended. We feel that the present world tension can only he eased if we attack the problem as would a medical scientist, who realizes that the only lasting cure tor an illness must develop from prevention. Today's “cure" for the world’s illnesses seems to be via bomb- shelters. This attitude has no relation to the prevention o1 war, so is it a lasting cure? John Fisk Ken Coleman tion oi new techniques and ex. periinentnl devices in the weapons themselves, since no one knows everything about these weapons and 2, personal observations oi mine oi cam. pus members. In these two isolated ways, at least, Russia's testing was ir- responsible. An American rec sumption of atmospheric testing would be Just as irresponsible If it tollowed the some lines oi excessive yield ground inter— section blast -adius (dirty) dce tonations designed to implement iearanspiring propaganda. But the resumption oi work toward an inherently cleaner neutroneclnitting weapon, iusion weapons with clean triggers and an eliectivc anti—missile weapons system tor a decent lnissileeate tack defense is a morally nec— essary reaction in order to save as many American lives as p057 sible in case of attack and to save as much oi the Soviet cive ilian population as possible through use ot improved cleans er_ strategic nuclear weapons. The latter is our moral obligaz tion today to any population we may be iorced to deiend against. Do we stop atmospheric nir clear testing, thereby allowing our military posture to slump to the degree that the Soviet Union could be in a dangerous. ly superior position7 Or do we maintain our American security through steadily improving dee terrent forces until logical re- sults effecting a sane disarma» ment can be achieved? Jim Johnson To the Etlitn . “These ci-e the times which try men‘s souls.” The resumption or nuclear tests by Russia and the present possibility oi the same by the US has not resulted in Wider spread demonstrations and riots cross the country, American ~c till/,ed society" generally trouns upon outbreaks of emo— lthn or extreme dedication to ideals, instead, we are cautioned on all sides to control our tempc s. repress nonconiormist opinions, and avoid behavior which indi- cates clearly our position on any crucial subject. Yet, America is reacting powei-iully to the pos— sibility of nuclear testing and war. Grinncll students have been revealing in their actions. Cone sider the most prevalent reac— tion. On Monday evening Stu- dents lost countless hours or study time while participating in bull sessions about the nowe passed Student Senate resolu- tion, Common to these bull ses- sions were bitter jokes and wry comments in rcicrcnce to .the international situation; everything iroin a cheery “See ya in Berlin" to nervous laughter over n ”Punch" car— tooii in AK“. John Ward gave us another rcatllollithe sobering thought oi the results of the war and the realization of the irightene ing mortality oi man. An unidentified ditto sheet ap- peared to the students' boxes beiore hoiisemeetings to encour— age support for the Student Senate resolution. (The lack of any indication of its origin rubbed the wrong way.) In the housemeetmgs serious students, over 75 per cent of the student body, voted 455—355 in tavor oi the resolution. , As is the custom in democrat ic societies, the representative body then discussed the resoluv tion i ~ several hours, However, this discussion was unusually solemn and restrained as they attempted to discuss an emo- tlollsrlddlcd (moral? strategic? illl‘ldel'llne your choice) issue, The Senate then voted 2047 against resumption of atmos— pheric nuclear testing. Even more reactions. A signif- icant number of students are leaving today ior Washington, DC, on a hunger strike protest against the testing. These peo- ple are not showoiis; they are not “beatniks” (a stupid word anyway), They are serious, scn< silivc people with a real aware— ness at the possible tragedy awaiting our high~powered civ- ilization. And further, two students, To the Editor: a couple, quietly walked around the north side or the town making a total oi nine interviews regarding the test— ing and the cold war. One man didnt know that itussin had exploited a 50 imegnton bomb. Another had read in a news magazine that the US. was can pable of obliterating Russia, and he was in iavor oi getting it over with. A third person, a woman babysitter, i-eiused to consider the question. She wouldn’t listen to the radio, read the papers or discuss it. All in- terviewed iavcred resumption of atmospheric testing it Russia continues. Mor Saturday evening a stu- dent in a bull session said, “I don’t even want, to think about it. it scar - me to death,“ it is this last reaction, the denial oi reality, which scares me most For it is these people who will commit suicide when their ialse world is shattered Steiner says this in “La Dolee Vita,” “What men really need (to fear is peace and a perieet society!” (because they are il- lusions). The chapel speaker last Sune day, Roger Hazleton. spoke “1* directly to this point (the state- ment is paraphrased). “The re iiisal to question who 1 am and why I act is a denial oi a man's basic humanity and a re— lusal to enter into the genuine educational process" For the student at Grinnell this point is terribly urgent as was evie denced by the complete atten— tion of the congregation. Not only students. but all men are being forced by the slow realization of the growing threat to their artificial peace to view themselves and then act according to what they really see when the artifice is removed, These are truly times which try men’s souls. Steve Aldrich To the Editor: These are upsetting times _ times, indeed, which burden peo- ple’s souls, Perhaps this explains the iact that so many people are going apc on the question or peace. Peace is won, it at all, by those who are patient, quiet and poi-severing, not by demagogucs, not by wild sacrifices, but by measured activity. Therefore, let us who want peace, be not so bold as to sit on Kennedy’s lawn, or to rally all to the cause oi peace, Let us begin by winning peace within ourselves, This means courage and cominittinent to ourselves, our iellows, and our God. Michael Coburn The recent action oi thc Student Senate in resolving to oppose the resumption oi atmospheric nuclear testing is undoubtedly one that raises questions in many minds, Yet, it is so morally and logically iustitiable that it demands the support oi the Griniicll student body as a whole. In the lust place, it is evident from the remarks of the Deputy Secretary at Defense. Roswell Gilpatric, that we are now in a position to destl' v Soviet Russia and indeed the whole world with our present .tockpile of atomic weapons Why then. the question arises, must we endanger health and i crease tensions by testing atomic weapons we do not need? Are we so callous that we feel we must “keep up with the Joneses" even in the held at atomic testing? What good are a billion megatons of bombs it the 28,000 megatons we now have are more than sufficient to make a fune oral pyl'o of the entire worlizl'.7 The explanation oi some that we are attempting to periect a “Clean neutron bomb” and that this is the reason [or the testing is not in itsell' a logical argument. We do not know ii this is the purpose oi the proposed tests or how many “dirty” tests would be required to periect a clean bomb. Furthermore, regardless oi what type of tests are conduct— ed, an unhealthy increase in world tensions is bound to result. lt, however, we wish lor a moment to be purely scliish let us consider the eitect oi a resumption of tests on the world at large, The reaction oi the other nations ol the world can only be that the Unltcd States is little better than the Soviet Union. We will lose not only the respect oi some oi the nations com— mitted to our cause, but we also will endanger our position with respect to the neutral countries of Asia and Atrica who are fast becoming disillusioned with our lack of principle. The resumption of atomic testing then will not only hurt us, but lose the respect that we have gained by thus far not follow- ing the Russians. In iaet there exists no good reason for resuming atomic test- ing. On the,Contral'y, We Will only hurt ourselves and the world by an action inspired out of fear instead of reason. Ray onsticld To the Editor: , On Thursday, November 2, 1 brought bciore the Senate the resolution in opposition to a r e sumption oi nuclear atmospheric testing by the United States. At that time the Senate voted 24719 to delay consideration or the issue. At that meeting I also made a statement concerning the res olution. This statement has been condemned as excessively emo< tional, untrue and based on pre~ judlce rather than on tact. It could well be that people have been emotional on this issue. But atter all it is an emo— tional issue, Radioactivity in— ,iures human beings and radio~ activity may Wall take its toll in lives. What )5 my evidence? Others, besides Linus Pauling, have made statements concem< ing the dangers oi radioactive iallout. A United Nations re- port says, “An estimated total oi 25,000 to 150,000 cases oi l'eue kemia will ultimately occur, if tests are stopped in 1953, irom tests already held . . . An eStl< mated total ot up to 100,000 genetic detects will occur over subsequent years irom tests 314 ready held.” (Table ll, page 42, UN Report on Radiation). As regards Carbon—lo, a reA port prepared by the Atomic Energy commission concludes that bomb tests to Sept. 1958, would cause 100,000 gross physical or mental detects, 350,000 cases oi stillbirths and childhood deaths, and 900,000 cases at embryonic and neona— tal deaths irom this cause alone (“The Biological Hazard to Man of Carbon-ll irorn Nu- clear Weapons"). Nobody knows for certain exactly what the effects of ra- diation are, But there is more than substantial evidence oi drastic consequences indeed. It is important that every Stu- dent on this campus understands What this resolution is not. It is not a proposal for unilateral disarmament. it does not in any way condemn underground test ing. And no, it does not “ade cate crawling to Moscow on our hands and knees." We must understand the his- torical context in which the United States decision to test or not to test will be made. it will occur in the midst of a very touchy Berlin situation. Secre- tary of State Rusk has called the Berlin situation one oi up- ward escalation. Upward escala- tion oi tear, at challenge and ot threats. The Soviet Union has decided to continue this esca1a< tion. What will ours be? Several members or the Senate urged a resumption ot tests on' the ground that the United States could periect an antimic- sle missle and in so doing im- prove the defensive capacity oi the US, But these persons also said that it would take four years to perfect such a device. In the next tour years, , wouldn't you rather see some real steps taken toward achiev— ing universal peace? Or would you rather see each side buildup a system or deicnsive devices which would make them more willing than ever to hurt invcctivcs, challenges ultimatiims bark and forth? Last week Nikita Khruschev was quoted as saying that the Soviet Union is now iinished with tests and will stay tinished until and unless the United States tests and will stay iinishcd un— begins testing. 1 do not think that there is a person on this HALAMA Cont. p. 11, col. 2