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KANSAS AND THE ATOMIC AGE
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efforts and those of other members of the University faculty, arangements were made to bring scientists who had worked on the bomb project to a number of Kansas towns in order to have the people of the State informed on the very significant question of the control of atomic energy.
Drs. L. Borst, P. Henshaw and H. Brown came from Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Drs. D. Hill and J. Nickson from Chicago, and Dr. T. Jorgenson from Los Alamos, New Mexico, to participate in the tour. In addition, men from the University of Kansas staff assisted in the discussions. Included in this group were : R. S. Brewster D. Hume H. B. Chubb J. O. Maloney L. Gemmel L. Pritchard
H. Gibson W. E. Sandelius R. S. Howey E. O. Stene
J. Ise J. D. Stranathan
L. L. Waters The eight Kansas towns selected for visits were Kansas City on April
I, Topeka on April 2, Salina on April 3, Hays on April 4, Dodge City on April 6, Wichita on April 8, Chanute on April 9, and Pittsburg on April 10. In each of the cities the program was sponsored jointly by the University of Kansas, the local schools, the Chamber of Commerce and other civic and service clubs and organiaztions. People of the surrounding areas were invited. Those attending the meeting were individuals who are articulate and influential in guiding the destiny of these communities.
The program consisted of three sessions. The meeting at Kansas City could be taken as representative of all
the meetings. During the morning, a description of the atom and the nucleus was presented in an elementary manner by Dr. Borst. Dr. Jorgenson described the general principle of a chain reaction together with its application to the operation of the bomb. The point was made that very little of the basic information needed to produce U-235 or plutonium was a secret and that almost any country could conduct sufficient experiments to make a bomb in a period of five years. Dr. Hill considered the possibility of defense against an atomic bomb attack. He stated that 100 to 500 bombs were probably enough to destroy all of the major cities of the United States. The | best defenses around London during the buzz bomb attacks knocked down 90% of the V-1 type and none of the V-2 design. Since any effective defense would have to be essentially 100%, it was concluded that no physical defense was possible. Dr. Brown next presented the scientists' concep' tion of what should be done. He stated that the only feasible control was of an international character. Individuals and not nations must become the responsible parties for any breach of international law.
During the afternoon session. Dr. Jorgenson showed pictures of the test in New Mexico and the bombing of Nagasaki. The number of persons killed in the tv;o Japanese cities will never be known. He stated that the article by Major de Seversky which appeared in the Reader's Digest for February, in which it was stated that the atom bomb would have no more effect on a modern city than a blockbuster, was completely in error in the