Danger of Radioactivity Exaggerated
I? • W, I I I> •
. . . Unreasoning rear Leads to Panic
Editor’s note: A dreaded by
product of nuclear blast is
radioactive fallout. How great
is the danger it presents to hu
man survival? In this last of
three articles an eminent atomic
scientist argues for a calm ap
.. wa praisal.
By Alton Blaksslee
Associated Press Science Writer
NEW YORK OB — A frequent
prediction about nuclear war is
that radioactivity would poison
the earth and all forms of life.
“This is certainly not true,”
says Dr. Edward Teller, one of the
world’s most prominent nuclear
physicists.
“The danger of radioactivity
has been grossly exaggerated.
“We must do everything possi
ble to avoid war. But if, despite
that, war does come, unreasonable
fear of radioactivity could lead
to panic and widespread, needless
loss of life.
“For example, popular writings
have been suggesting that radia
tion sickness can be transmitted
from person to person, like a con
tagious disease.
“If there were a war, this means
a person who had been exposed
to radiation might be denied ad
mission to a shelter from fear of
him.
“Instead, the humane thing
would be to try to save his life.
His contaminated clothing should
be removed, and treatment start
ed for radiation sickness. Care
should be taken to dispose safely
of his radioactive body wastes.
But that victim could not really
harm others in the shelter.”
Radiation Is New Element
Radiation is the new—and to
most people mysterious—element
in nuclear weapons.
Immediate radiation, mainly in
the form of neutrons, can kill per
sons close enough to the bomb
center.
More insidiously, the bomb re
leases a cloud of radioactivity
which is carried away by winds,
then falls to earth. It forms a
heavy pattern on the ground near
the explosion, then rapidly de
creases in intensity.
But for years, radioactivity can
rain down around the earth in
the form of long-lasting radio
active atoms, such as as stron
tium-^.
This fallout generated a vio
lent political and scientific con
troversy as to the danger only
from, tests, and the moral ques
tion of spreading contamination
in order to test weapons.
Everyone agrees humans have
always lived in a constant small
sea of radiation from natural
sources such as cosmic rays and
-m, ■ ..mJm. ■ ■.■■■■■ ...
radioactive rocks.
All agree the further radio
activity from fallout has added
—thus far—only about 2 per cent
to the natural radioactivity.
At this point, even the scientists
split.
Some hold the added radio
activity means hundreds of thou
sands of babies will be born de
formed, or stillborn, and that ele
ments such as strontium-80 will
cause or are causing more human
cancer.
No Damage Yet
Other scientists including Dr.
Teller insist there has been no
damage yet, or that the added risk
is too tiny to measure. The U. S.
Atomic Energy Commission takes
this official view.
“The present amounts of radio
activity are so small that animal
experiments show no effects,” Dr.
Teller says.
“We are scared about very
small amounts, such as the stron
tium-80 found in milk. But we
could take 100 times more, and
still consume it safely.
“If it were 1,000 times more,
we would drink the milk or eat
vegetables, if we were hungry,
even though it might give us a
slightly greater chance, say, of
getting cancer later in life.
“But if it were 10,000 times
more, then we should consider
carefully how the intake of radio
activity can be reduced.”
All-out war would vastly in
crease the radioactive fallout.
But Dr. Teller says the lethal
and damaging genetic effects —
should this happen — have been
exaggerated also.
“And we are just beginning to
learn how to combate the effects
of radiation, to remove it from
food or water, or remove radio
activity from the body, and to de
vise antidotes,” he notes.
Radioactive atoms on the
ground might be plowed under,
he said. Or research may find
means of breeding crops which
selectively removed radioactivity
and were themselves thrown away
or harvesi of ' crops which take
up little of the dangerous types
of atoms.
“The point is that overdrawn
fear of radioactivity could para
lyze us, and lead to foolish action
if the tragedy of war came upon
us,” Dr. Teller contends.
Lack of adequate civil defense
in the United States, he suggested,
constitutes in effect an invitation
to attack, and he added: “We
should start right now, without
further delay.”
Letter-sfse and Legal File folders
Available at The None Nugget
..
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NORTHERN AVIATION
|May Bethel and||ome
Become Good and Fast Frien
ring Sea Enterprises
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and
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Paul A. Mandeville
Call 443-2503
For Prompt Service on
73,000 Reserves
Called Up to
Active Duty
WASHINGTON OR — Two Army
National Guard divisions the
249 Army Reserve and Guard
supporting units were called to
active duty Tuesday effective Oct.
15.
Secretary of Defense McNamara
announced the action, affecting
73,000 officers and enlisted men,
at a news conference.
The Guard divisions are the
32nd Infantry of Wisconsin and
the 49th Armored of Texas.
McNamara noted that the addi
tion of these units to active forces
will give the United States 10
combat ready divisions in this
country by the latter part of this
year.
“These divisions will be avail
able as part of our strategic re
serve for movement to any part
of the World, including Europe,”
McNamara said.
The 73,000 men affected by the
new callup bring to 151,500 the
number of Resevists and Guards
men ordered into uniform under
this country’s military buildup in
the mounting Berlin crisis.
All told, President Kennedy has
received authorization from Con
gress, to call up to 250,000 men
for as much as a year of service.
McNamara noted that two other
National Guard divisions, the
26th Infantry of Massachusetts
and the 28th Infantry of Penn
sylvania have been placed on
priority status.
He said developments in the
world would determine whether
the 26th and the 28th would be
called at a later date.
If conditions improve, he said,
the Wisconsin and Texas Guard
divisions may be released from
duty in less than 12 months.
The Secretary said “no de
cision has been made to send any
divisions to Europe.”
----
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Bids are requested for planning
a route and laying an initial ac
cess wagon trail to Pilgrim Hot
Springs.
Trail must be capable of sup
porting lid-ton dual-wheel truck.
-Work to be completed in summer
of 1962. _ J
Lessee reserves right to reject
any or all bids; however all bid
ders will be fully informed of
decisions.
Write: Pilgrim Hot Springs, P.O.
Box 593, Nome, before Oct. 31,
INI.
Make Your Selection Now at The Nugget I
Armory to Be Temporary
School at Quinhagak
JUNEAU iff) — The Bureau of
Indian Affairs has accepted a
state offer to make the armory
at Quinhagak available as a tem
porary school, Gov. Egan said
yesterday.
Use of the armory was offered
after the BIA announced plans to
close operation of the Quinhagak
School because of its unsafe con
dition. A new school has been au
thorized for Quinhagak but con
struction has not started.
James Hawkins, area director
for the BIA, said the Quinhagak
Armory school will open about
Oct. 2 for 32 children in the low
er three grades. Twenty-three
children in the upper grades will
be entered in Wrangell Institute,
Hawkins said.
First Mail Truck Run
Finishes Return Trip
SEATTLE (1P> — The nrst maii
truck on an experimental Alaska
run finished the return trip from
Fairbanks about midnight Mon
day. The next will leave here just
after midnight Thursday.
The inaugural run of the one
year trial overland mail service I
was made through British Colum
bia, the Yukon Tterritory and In
terior Alaska over the Alaska
Highway. Second, third and fourth
class mail was carried.
Anchorage businessmen have
protested that original plans of
the Post Office Department, as
announced by the Alaska ccn
gresional delegation last May, in
cluded Anchorage on the route
but the service now terminates
. at Fairbanks.
i ■■■■
50 State Governments
Collect Record $19
Billion in Taxes
CHICAGO UB — The 5G state
governments collected a record
$19 billion in taxes during the
fiscal year ended June 30, Com
merce Clearing House reported
yesterday.
The Clearing House is a nation
al private reporting agency on tax
and business law.
The total collections amounted
to a record average state tax
burden of $106.03 on every man,
woman and child. The per capita
average was up $4 from the previ
ous year. The burden ranged from
a low of $63.23 in New Jersey to
$205.92 in Hawaii.
Kentucky registered the largest
per capita tax increase, from $76
to $99. A new sales and use tax
in Kentucky increased total col
lections by 21.9 per cent. Alaska’s
increase was 16.5 per cent, Colo
rado’s 14.2 per cent and Vir
ginia’s 18 per cent.
Only three states, Oregon, Wyo
ming and Ohio, decreased their
total tax collections during the
year.
The largest collection occurred
in California — $2t4 billion.
RED CROSS, THAT IS . . .
TRIBUNE, Kan. — Randy
Brubb came home from kindergar
ten with his first request for
money.
“It’s for that man who helps
us if a big storm hits,” he said.
“What’s his name?” asked
Randy’s mother.
“I think it’s Red.”
“What’s his last name? Cross?’*
“Yep, that’s it. Red Cross.”
To
Tlie People of Bethel
We Solicit Out-of-Town Orders
We Deliver Promptly I
Monday and Friday
Call 443-2371 or 443-2319
NOME LIQUOR STORE
Tom Martin, Mgr.