Evening star. [volume], November 05, 1959, Page A-11, Image 11

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
I-ranee's Nrst A-Test
Unlikely Before Spring
By CROSBY S. NOYEB
European CorrMpondrnt of The Star
PARIS, Nov, s.—Despite a
rash of public statements on
the subject of the French
atomic bomb, qualified observ
ers here do not believe a test
of the new weapon is neces
sarily Imminent.
The best guess of these ex
perts is that France has now
solved the major technical
problems of building a usable
bomb and would be able to ex
plode its first one at any time
For a variety of reasons, how
ever, it is thought likely that
the test will be delayed until
spring.
The major difficulty delaying
development of the French
bomb for more than a year
has been the production of
plutofilum—the essential ex
plosive element. A reactor at
Marcoule near Avignon de
signed to produce plutonium
gave trouble in its early stages.
Despite the steady flow of
vaguely optimistic statements,
no responsible French spokes
man until this week has claimed
that the Marcoule plant was in
actual production. In his re
port to the French Senate on
Tuesday, however, Jacques
Soustelle, President de Gaulle’s
Minister for Atomic Power, im
plied strongly that the problem
has been solved.
No Question of Ability
Once the necessary supply of
plutonium is available, there is
no question that French tech
nicians can produce a service
able bomb. By American or
British standards, the weapon
will be relatively crude (“neither
apocalyptic nor ridiculous,” ac
cording to Mr. Soustelle). But
since it will be packaged for air
, transportation, it will rate as
a practical weapon.
While stepping up their j
propaganda to prepare public
opinion at home and abroad for
the first explosion, the French
are keeping their target date a
close secret. Although political
factors—including the atomic
disarmament conference at
Geneva and the coming summit j
meeting—weigh in favor of an
early date for the test, techni
cal considerations could cause
postponement for several more
months.
Among these perhaps the
most important is the question
of meteorological conditions in
the Sahara, where the test is
to be held. In answering vio
lently hostile criticism of the
project in Africa and the
United Nations, Mr. Soustelle
and Jules Moch, France’s U. N.
representative, have made a
great point of precautions
being taken to assure the
safety of surrounding areas.
Though their assurances
have by no means succeeded
in stopping all complaints,
they do indicate that special
importance is being given to
weather conditions.
These conditions in the Sa
hara are understood to be most
favorable in spring and sum
mer. For its part, the United
States has never conducted
nuclear experiments during
winter months.
More Than One Bomb?
Another reason for the delay
might be that the French plan
to explode more than one
bomb. Given the high expense
of setting up the show, it may
be felt more practical to wait
until enough plutonium is
available for several explosions
rather than a single shot.
It is only recently that for
eign observers in Paris have
become convinced that the
French actually intend to go
through with their much-pub
licized development of an
atomic weapon. Until now there
has been a suspicion that Gen.
de Gaulle was more interested
in getting a bigger say for
France on this question of
Western policy including a
possible veto over the use of
nuclear weapons anywhere in
the world—than in having a
bomb of his won.
In fact, this is still felt to
be his major consideration.
Quite apart from the question
of national prestige—what Mr.
Soustelle calls the "political
and economic standing of the
country” the French seem
firmly convinced that their pos
session of an atomic weapon
will yield them a number of
immediate and practical politi
cal rewards.
Hopeful of Data
Rightly or wrongly, many
French leaders believe that
what they refer to as the “An
glo-American partnership” in
NATO results largely from
Britain’s status as a nuclear
power. Beyond this they are
hopeful their own development
may lead to a lifting of Ameri
can restrictions on the ex
change of atomic military in
formation.
Although officially the United
States has offered neither en
couragement nor opposition to
Fiance’s atomic effort, officials
here have a number of private
reservations about these ex
pected results.
In the military field, France,
even with the bomb, will cer
tainly never be an atomic
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power in the same sense as the
United States or Russia—or
very probably Britain. On the
other hand, despite Mr. Moch’s
assurances, it is felt that
France’s possession of the bomb
may have the result of making
an agreement on atomic dis
armament even more difficult
and complicated than it is
now.
Although on the strength of
their achievement the French
may well take their place at
the conference table in Geneva,
this will not necessarily make
the talks go more smoothly.
And. in the meantime. France's
claim to equal status in the
Western “atomic club” seems
likely to remain as much up
in the air as ever.
Oil Strike Reported
On Film Studio Lot
CULVER CITY, Calif., Nov.
5 <AP».—A wildcat well has
struck oil on the Metro-Gold
wyn-Mayer movie studio lot,
the Los Angeles Examiner re
ported yesterday. Neither MGM
nor Continental Oil Co., which
is drilling the well, would con
firm or deny the report.
M. W. Jorz, Examiner oil edi
tor, reported the well marks
an oil field discovery of major
proportions. The oil company
has a lease of, 800 acres and
also on the Desilu studio lot
about a half-mile east of MGM.
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THE EVENING STAR
Waihmtto*. O, C., Thvnd&y, November 3, 1939
Panama's
President Hits
Anfi-U. S. Acts
PANAMA, Nov. 5 (AP).—
President Ernesto de la Guar
dia, Jr„, last night “condemned
and disapproved” violent
demonstrations by Panamanian
nationalists against United
States control of the Canal
Zone,
Mr. de la Guardia told the
nation in a broadcast that the
attacks Monday on the United
States Embassy and on United
States Army troops and Canal
Zone police at the border of
the zone “were not fair to the
authorities of a country which
has, with us. a vital and mu
tual Interest in the canal.”
Feeling against the United
States still ran high. Demon
strators stoned the offices of
the American-owned light and
power company in the capital
yesterday and 3et fire to an
automobile.
Provocation Charred
Shortly before Mr. de la
Guardia went on the radio,
Panama charged in a diplo
matic note that the United
States troops and police pro.
voked the anti-United States
violence by their rough han
dling of nationalists trying to
parade the Panamanian flag
through the Canal Zone.
The Panama government was
replying to a Washington pro
test against the attack on the
Embassy and the afternoon
long clash at the boundary of
the zone.
Mr. de la Guardia warned
his people that "extreme meas
ures are fatal for the relation
ship between governments and
peoples, and the only results of
them are the building of re
sentment and bitterness.”
But he said his government
had warned the United States
authorities two months ago of
the "dangerous emotional re
actions” that could explode
over rejection of Panamanian
complaints relating to the
Canal Zone.
Independence Celebrated
The demonstrations Monday
were linked with the celebra
tion of Panama’s 66th inde
pendence anniversary. The
demonstrators planned to “show
the flag" in the Canal Zone to
underline their demand that
the United States recognize
Panamanian sovereignty over
the 500-mile-square area, which
the United States by treaty
controls in perpetuity.*
More thap 80 persons were
injured, windows were broken
at the United States Embassy
and the United States Informa
tion Service, the American
flag at the Embassy was torn
up and at least six United
States automobiles In the Canal
Zone were burned.
Foreign Minister Miguel j
Moreno, jr., in the note handed!
to United States Ambassador
Julian Harrington, said the
Panamanian government “la
ments” the occurrences Mon
day and “in no way can accept
or approve acts of the type
that motivated your protest."
But the note accused, the
United States troops and Canal
Zone police of such “unjustifi
able acts” against the demon
strators “as firing on groups of
unarmed Panamanians and j
throwing tear gas bombs on)
various sectors of the city.”
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