June 26, 1974

Mice Roar, Eagles Shiver

The mice roared last week and sent shivers racing up the backbones of many Americans.  I allude, of course, to the agreement by President Nixon to provide large nuclear reactors to Egypt and Israel.

The anti-bomb alarmists roared, too, predicting doomsday at the hands of wild-eyed Arabs or vengeful Israelis.

The reaction inevitably recalled the popular movie of a few years ago titled "The Mouse That Roared."  In that delightful spoof, a postage-stamp kingdom accidentally acquired a U.S. atom bomb and became a super-power overnight.

Egypt and Israel may have visions of a new eminence in the Nuclear Club.  But it is a big step betwixt boiling water with atoms and delivering a nuclear war-head to an enemy target.

Admittedly, there is some risk in putting nuclear know-how into the hands of the Mideast hot heads.  However, the risk is not as great as the worry warts would have us believe.

The secret of making atomic bombs became common knowledge a decade or so ago.  The recipe for big bang is just a chapter today in all college text books.

The technology of manufacturing an atomic bomb is something else.  A large, expensive industrial complex is necessary to turn low-grade nuclear fuel into practical weaponry.  That's why the United States and Russia - 30 years after Hiroshima - are the only nations with effective nuclear weapons.

France, Great Britain, and China have a limited capability to produce war-heads but not the technology to build delivery systems.  It is interesting to note that just this month these junior members of the Nuclear Club each exploded nuclear bombs as they hurry to get their models out of the laboratories and into practical use.

What is not generally known is that the United States has been providing nuclear reactors to 28 other countries for the past 20 years.

These nations are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Republic of China, Colombia, Finland, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela and South Vietnam.

Most of the reactors furnished these countries were small models designed primarily to give scientists there practical working knowledge.  The ultimate aim is to enable these nations to produce significant amounts of their energy needs.

India startled the world this month by exploding an atom bomb created from by-products of a nuclear reactor furnished several years ago by Canada.  The technology of the Canadian equipment, of course, originally came from the U.S.

In addition to its older Canadian reactor, India also has been given two large reactors by the United States.  This same type will be given to Egypt and Israel.

When the United States furnishes nuclear equipment and fuel it is under contract that strictly accounts for the plutonium-rich byproduct that can be turned into bombs.  It is significant that the Indian bomb came from byproducts produced by the Canadian reactor not controlled by contract.

President Nixon and his advisors reason that it is safer to provide nuclear fuel with proper safeguards than to encourage a mad race among nations to develop their own nuclear production capability and sovereign power to use it for mischievous purposes.

The Russians have already given Egypt a laboratory model reactor, as we have given a similar one to Israel.  In addition, Israel has built a second small reactor with secret help from the French.  Experts are convinced Israel has a working bomb which has not yet been exploded.

The notion that nuclear knowledge is the monopoly of Russia and the United States is naive, to say the least.  The nuclear age belongs to the world - for whatever good or evil it brings.

The reactors to be turned over to Egypt and Israel will be comparable in size to those previously sold to Canada and India.  The reactors will generate 600 megawatts each of electricity within six or seven years.  This is enough energy for an American city of 300,000 people.

When we contemplate the ultimate destructive power of a well-made atomic bomb, we regret that we were not able to keep the secret to ourselves.  But when Mr. and Mrs. Julius Rosenberg gave the atomic bomb secret to Russia - and paid for the treason with their lives - the nuclear race was underway in deadly earnest.

Perhaps it was inevitable that other nations would independently discover how to make atomic bombs once it was proved possible.  Hindsight is futile.

We must live in the real world, and the reality of World 1974 is that many nations have the bomb and many more are on the verge of producing one.

Salvation would seem to lie in the mutual sharing of a great source of energy whereby peaceful use would be of more importance than military use.

We have seen how a critical shortage of energy quickly strips away the thin veneer of peaceful intentions.  I shudder to think how belligerent Americans might have become toward the Arab states after a few more months of an oil embargo.  And we were dependent upon foreign oil for only ten percent of our needs.

It may be a risk to extend nuclear technology, but it is a risk we must take if we are to keep the appetites for energy within peaceful bounds.

Author: Lindsey Williams