Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 August 1945 — Page 1

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FINAL

AHEAD IN '39— Hitler's Race Hatred Aided Atom Victory

‘By DAVID DIETZ Scripps-Howard Science Editor

F Adolf Hitler had not pursued a ruthless policy of racial and religious hatred he might have won the atomic bomb race with the United States.

Germany was out in front— far ahead of other nations—in atomic research in 1939. Prof. Otto Hahn and Dr, Lise. Maitner, German Jews working in a German laboratory, discove ered that cer- © tain atoms of uranium seemed to split in two with the release of an unusual amount of energy. Their experiments were re= . peated in this country by two Nobel prize Mr. Dietz winners, Dr. Neils Bohr, a Danish Jew, and Dr. Enfico Fermi, a German political refugee. #4 4 8 « PROF. HAHN and Dr. Maitner fled from Germany before the war Yegan. They went first to Sweden, then joined other refugee scientists in the - United States. Their knowledge, pooled with American experimenters, resulted in the new, fantastic weapon which, as President Truman phrased it, opens a new era in world history. Many readers have difficulty in understanding what is meant by atomic energy. It means the energy inside the atoms of matter. When Mme, Curie discovered radium, it was found that the substance was continuously giving off energy in the form of rays. ‘What was happening was that the heart or nucleus of the radfum atom was disintegrating, letting out the energy otherwise locked up within it, y 8» IN“1905, in the same year in which he formulated the theory ‘of relativity, Prof. Albert Einstein advanced the idea that

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STEEPLEJACK DIES IN FALL OFF CHURCH

r Plunges 75 Feet When Belt Comes Lose.

Ernest Shoemaker, 47, of 503% 8. Delaware st, a steeplejack, plunged 75 feet to his death today from the roof of the Second Presbyterian church, , iy ermont and oss Pennsylvania sts. Mr. Shoemaker, * ith two coyorkers, Harold Elliott, 43, of 227 Alabama st, d John Reynplds, of 419 8S. abama st, was _ repairing a chim- § In at the top ; ge of the nave Mr. Shoemaker on of the roof when his safety belt came unstrapped, “I made a desperate grab for him,” said Mr. Elliott, who had orked with Shoemaker 20 years, but couldn't quite reach him. It vas sickening to see him hurtle down that steep roof for I knew he didn’t have a chance.” The steeplejack landed on a paved walk between the church and a building housing . the church offices, and died almost instantly. His fellow workers sald that he

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" WARMER WITH RAIN

The weather bureau today predicted a continued rise in temperature this week, to be broken by undershowers Thursday and Friday. -It will become warmer on Sunday.

LOCAL 6a m.... Tam... 8am... Pam...

TEMPERATURES 64 10a. m 65 11a m..... 67 12 (Noon).. n 1p. m....

TIMES INDEX

Amusements , 6 Mauldin ..... 11 Eddie Ash ... 16| Ruth Millett,, 1F Barrows ..... 20 Movies ....... 6 Business ..... 8 Myler ....... Comics ...... 17, Obituaries .., 5 ll Crossword ... 17|Dr. O'Brien ., 13 Editorials .... 12|Radio ....... 17 Peter Edson.. 12) Richert ...... 12 Fashions ..... 14/Ration Dates. 20 Forum cerenes 12 Riess sevens 13 Mrs, Roosevelt 11 + Wm, P. Simms 12 es Sports ansruae 16 .. 3|state Deaths. 5 Tom Stokes... 12

VOLUME 56—NUMBER 128

Public Atom-Dizzy

Man. on Street Doesn't Know What to Think Of Terrific New Bomb—Or Hasn't Heard.

Joseph Don Combs. Mrs. Bonnie Jones.

Cpl. F. Madritach and daughter.

street. Many people were fotally uninformed of man’s conquest in harnessing the atom, its destructive power and the unlimited field for peacetime use. Of 20 persons questioned downtown this morning, only four had any definite idea of the atom bomb. More than half confessed

Miss Hazel McClintick.

By VICTOR PETERSON

THE BIRTH of the “atom age” has burst on a general public unable to grasp its magnitude. Screaming, black, eight-column banners heralded what perhaps is the greatest scientific story in modern history. Radio commentators had a field day. Today this reporter found a

somewhat dazed man-on-the- | (Continued on Page 3—Column 2)

What Makes the

Atom Go Boom

By FREDERICK C. OTHMAN United Press Staff Correspondent

VV ASHINGTON, Aug. 7.—Here is the place to find out about the atom bomb. What makes it go boom. And how to build a steam-heating plant, vest-pocket size. Heads of goversiment today are issuing statements about the cataclysmic discovery. Scientists are being interviewed. The experts are writing columns about heavy water, uranium and cosmic rays. : ;

» s » os . ” THAT'S ALL to the good and President Truman's announce=

ment undoubtedly is one of the most important in history, The trouble is that the explanations sound like gobbledgegook to me. On the theory that there may be a few people as ignorant as Othman, I called on my favorite professor. He had the dope, all

right, but said if I embarrassed him in print, he'd split every atom in Othman, Enough of introduction: Let us enter the realms, of atomic science: »

» » » HERE aie No kinds of atoms, complicated and simple. We'll skip the fancy atoms and consider—as did the scientists in the secret factory in Tennessee—the plain ones. A simple atom is made of two pieces, glued together. glue, too. The two hunks of an atom are stuck so tightly that science spent 40 years vainly trying to chop ’em apart. Only way to do the job was build a fire under ‘em. A hot fire; hotter than the hinges of you-know-where; hotter than any fire ever kindled before. » » s ” ” » THE ATOM finally was split in two with such a bang that it smashed an atom next door, which split in two and smashed and so on, Until what happened to Hiroshima shouldn't happen to any one but a Jap. Or as President Truman said, if the Japanese had brains they'd have surrendered before the atomic bomb hit ‘em. What happens next to them is anybody's guess. The war won't last forever and that’s where the vest-pocket furnace comes in-—plus other things straight out of Jules Verne. » » s o o » HEN YOU'VE got a row of atoms lined up, going boom to order, you've got a source of inexhaustible power. "The whole universe, including the dime in your pocket, is made of atoms. The trick is to build the right kind of fire under the right

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HOOSIERS RECRUITED PRISONER ON STAND

TO WORK ON BOMB

Good

CHICAGO, Aug. 7 (U. P).~— More than 13000 workers were recruited in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for work in the atomic bomb plants, Willlam H. Spencer,

regional manpower director, said

today. “Precautions taken to protect the secrecy of ‘the bombs were 50 thorough that most of the workers were unaware of the nature of ‘the project even after they had been employed several months,” Spencer sald,

BLAST KILLS 13 PORT ARTHUR, Ont, Aug. "7 (U, P.).~—At least 13 persons were |

-

Thone ....... 11/8r8in

AT COURT-MARTIAL

A prisoner at the disciplinary barracks today was the first prosecution witness in the general courtmartial at Pt. Harrison of, five defendants accused of a riot last May 31. Army public relations oMers de

plteded sincsens to charges of in.

defense expects to call a total of 19. | ‘The soldiers, four of them Negroes,

TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1945

Victory in Few Months —Or Days— Possible, Roy W. Howard Says; Fighting Men’ s Morale High..

(Editorial, Page 12) By ROY W. HOWARD

President, The Indianapolis Times

HONOLULU, Aug. 7.—Any estimate of an early ending of the war is within reason when based on President Truman's release of the story of the atomic bomb used against Japan. That the end of the war must come within a few months is certain. : That it may come within weeks is probable. .That it would come within days is not impossible. The time factor must inevitably be governed by the speed with which the Japanese people can grasp the full significance of warfare’s latest development.

» #" » 8 » ” » THE ATOMIC BOMB is destined to change not only the course of this war but of all future wars. With a single explosion it has made largely obsolescent all previous conceptions of navies, armies and war machinery. The existence of the aloinic bomb and the experimental work done on it were known to only a very few of the top commanding officers in the Pacific area. Outside those officers and the men actually conducting the experimental work, the secret was the most closely guarded one of the war.

J . 8» go. ONE of the great difficulties which had to be overcome « was devising ways of insuring the escape of the crew of the airplane dropping the bomb. This was due to the fact that it was believed the force of the bomb would be sufficient to shatter its carrying plane several miles above the earth. Prior to yesterday's history-making announcement, speculation as to the termination of the war was much more conservative. Based solely on the processes and techniques in use before our bomb hit, the estimates were

that the Jap war would end in six or seven months. ” » ” 8 » ”

NOW THE EVIDENCE is piling up on every island and atoll base that America has marshalled staggering might. We have experienced troops and leaders. We have equipment that has never been equalled. And now we have the atomic bomb. : The morale of our fighting men is at an all-time high. As a consequence of this high morale, our front area officers are inclined to criticize persons of importance who return to the United States with dire predictions of a long war, with no peace in sight for a couple of years. It is felt that when these gloomy predictions appear in servicemen’s newspapers they must have an adverse effect on a military organization even as confident as our own.

a » n Ar s = =» N the other hand; it is argued that the American pessimists are probably making a contribution to the strengthening of whatever is left of Jap morale. It is certain that the Japs now know—despite their fact-throttling censorship—of the devastation of their homeland from the air and the sea. Their once boastful confidence in even the defensive value of their air forces must by now be thoroughly shattered. ~~ Even though the Jap military leaders and politicians know they are defeated, their obvious game is to keep their people from knowing as little of the situation as possible and to hold out as did the Germans in the hope of a break in the allied unity. i ” » » tJ » s EVERY GLOOMY prediction by dn important American justifies the Japs in believing that they may have under-estimated their own power of resistance or may have overestimated the American strength. Development of either or both of these misconceptions obviously stimulates Japanese resistance. It may even sustain the still faintly fluttering hope of escape from unconditional surrender. Maintaining and extending the supply lines and continuing the piling up of material for the invasion of Japan are still of greatest importance.

» . 8. - ” . » OF THE complete gd utter defeat of Japanese militarism there is no longer any doubt. The only question is as to the date and the cost. \ To Adm. Nimitz will be given the task of landing our Invasion forces on the Japanese mainland beachhead and of keeping open the necessary lines of supply. From there on the job of delivering the knockout blow will be entirely up.to Gen. MacArthur. . : Our Pghting men’s faith in both leaders is complete.

i “a 8 MacARTHUR'S RECORD for inflicting maximum casualties on the enemy, while sustaining a minimum of American losses, is unmatched by the record of any military commander. in, modern history. The army knows

Sra

foot—who, will bo called on

Entered as Second-Class Matter at Postotfice Indianapplis 9, Ind." Issued dally except Sunday

TOKYO REPORTS DEVASTATION IN AREA ROCKED BY ATOMIC BOWB

Early End of. War Now

DIPLONACY OF

WORLD JARRED

BY NEW BOMB

‘Mankind Must Find Way to End War or Become Extinct’ —Simms. (Another Simms Story, Page 12)

By WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS Scripps-Howard Foreign Editer WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.—The new atomic bomb which the U. S. air forces let fall on Japan Sunday, shook world statemen every whit as much as it did the Japanese, It meant that from now on, literally speaking, the extermination of mankind is no mere figure of speech; ‘that, unless it is stopped, World War IIT will almost certainly be the last. Sunday, Aug. 5, 1945, therefore, seems destined to live in history and be talked about by school children

Eyewitness story of first test of atom bomb, Page 2; other stories, Page 11.

and grown-ups long after Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor day— is a forgotten incident of the same War, For several years now, the use of atomic power in warfare has been

| the nightmare of responsible states-

men and’ the dream of physicists and military men. Scientists, of course, have been doing it in theory for centuries. But only recently has the actuality seemed imminent. ‘Nazis Not Bluffing’ In England last summer, shortly after the buzz-bombs started raining on London, the Nazis began boasting about still other and more potent weapons which, they said, they had in reserve. I asked an allied intelligence officer if the German’s weren't bluffing. “Not on your life,” he replied in deadly earnest. “We know they are working on a new explosive, probably atomic, as well as rocket projectiles designed to drop out of the stratosphere. We do not know, however, how far they have progressed. “But if they perfect these weapons in time—well, all I have to say is you'd better get as far away from London as you can.” Fortunately the Nazis failed and we succeeded. The chances are that if we have enough atomic bombs in production they will end the Pacific

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HOWARD APPOINTED WARDEN AT PRISON

Republican Replaces Dowd At Michigan City.

Appointment of Ralph (Cap) Howard, Republican, to replace Alfred Dowd as warden of the Indiana State prison at Michigan City, was made today by Governor Gates. The new warden will take office on Aug. 15 at the expiration of Dowd’'s term. Mr. Dowd had been warden since 1938, Mr. Howard, who has more than 30 years service’ with Indiana penal institutions, was superintendent of the Indiana State farm from 1921 to 1931, He was then transferred to superintendent of the Indiana Reformatory in which capacity he worked until 1933, when he was named State farm superintendent by former Governor McNutt. He served there until 1937. In 1941, he was appointed head of the state excise police. A native of Winchester in Randolph county, Mr. spent most of his life in Putnam county, where he owns and operates a farm. He began his career with state penal institutions when he became a guard at the Indiana Boys’ school, Plainfield. Mr. Howard is 64, married and has two sons, one of whom is a major in the engineers and has been overseas three and one-half years.

NEW STATEMENT ON BOMB TO BE ISSUED

John Anderson, who directed Brit-

~|ish research on the atomic .bomb,

sald last night that further scien tific details of the terrible weapon will be revealed in another statement in the next few days. The statement will explain much more mate Jy, ow De the Pivjess oe

Howard has}

PRICE FIVE CENTS

Within

Reaching

ground.

said.

places, the broadcast added.

hopefully.

was dropped.

destruction.

NEW SURRENDER ORDER WEIGHED

2d Ultimatum May Warn Of Atomic Annihilation. WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (U. P).~—

Military observers believed today

that the aNies were considering a new ultimatum calling on Japan to surrender or be annihilated with atomic power, If it is decided to issue an ultimatum, the observers said, it would probably come within a’ few days, after President - Truman arrives home from Potsdam. The period until then will give the Japanese time to examine the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, This, and the ThFeat of more to come, might tend to convert them to “rightful thinking,” the source said. Save U. 8. Lives Any surrender brought about short of an invasion would, of course, save uncounted American lives, the military men pointed out. The observers noted with interest that Tokyo was not picked as the

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R eason’

Jap Radio Says Missile Parachuted Down and Exploded Before

Ground.

By WILLIAM F. TYREE United Press Staff Correspondent

GUAM, Aug. 7.—Tokyo said today that American atomic bombs descended on Hiroshima by paras chute yesterday, exploding before reaching the

They caused such great devastation that authorities still have not ascertained its full extent. Japanese propagandists said that the use of the new weapon was “sufficient to brand the enemy for ages to come as the destroyer of . . . mankind” and “public enemy number one of social justice.” An investigation was under way into the extent of the destruction in the world’s first atomic bombing, Tokyo

First reports showed that a “considerable number” of houses had been demolished and fires broke out at several

Seek Counter-Measures The broadcast, coming almost 36 hours after-the raid, said the destructive power of the new “bestial” weapen “cannot be slighted,” but claimed that Japanese authorities already were working out “effective counter-measures.” “The history of war shows that the new weapon, however effective, will eventually lose its power, as the opponent is bound to find methods to nullify its effects,” Tokyo said

The enemy version of the attack said a small number of American planes dropped a “few” of the new-type bombs. It was announced officially at Washington that only one bomb

It was apparent that the Japanese could not believe a single plane and a single bomb could cause 80 much

Says U. S. “Frustrated” Tokyo attributed the American use of the atomic bomb to impatience over the “slow progress of the enemy's muchvaunted invasion of Japan’s mainland.” “In view of the gallant resistance of the Japanese forces as exemplified by the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, the

enemy’s hope of a quick battle and a quick decision in the forthcoming battle of Japan's homeland has been well-nigh frustrated,” the broadcast said, “In these circumstances, the ene-

my began to employ a barbaric method as a last and desperate re-

isort. By employing a new weapon

designed to massacre innocent civiljans, the Americans have opened the ayes of he ward to their sadistic nature.” A Japanese imperial headquarters communique also conceded that “new-type bombs” had caused “cone siderable damage.” An earlier Japanese broadcast had reported the cancellation of trains in the Hiroshima area as result of air raid damage without mentioning the possibility that a new-type bomb had been. used. Accurate assessment of the destruction wrought by the atomic missile at Hiroshima, an industrial and communication center on Jae pan's inland sea, still awaited ree connaissance photographs. Pirst photograph planes to reach the Hiroshima area after the raid were unable to penetrate the dense dust and smoke rising from the stricken area. The text of the Japanese imperial headquarters communique on the raid was as follows: "l. Considerable damage was

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What Atom Bomb Might Do

LONDON, Aug. 7 (U, P.).—Sir|

br