s: SCIENTISTS OF ALL COUNTRIES H_tests must be stopped HEN Dr. nuclear tests was Albert Schweitze broadcast over rs appeal for ending : the Norwegian Radio last April, a group of Czech newspapermen, through the ists. in biology, Czechoslovak News Agency, polled. special- physics and chemistry in a number of ‘ countries, among them Britain, France, East and Wes Germany, Aust ia, vakia, Yugoslavia, China, The questions they asked were these: + An increased fallout of radioactive stontium has been observed throughout the northern hemisphere Would mankind be endan- gered if the amount of radioactive dust continued to rise? + How and when would consequences to the human organism manifest them- selves? + Is any part of the world safe? + What measures do you re- commend should be taken? Following are extracts from some of the replies received from 31 scientists in 16 coun- tries. Full text of all the re- plies has been submitted to * the United Nations Sub-Com- mittee on Disarmament. With the sole exception of Prof. Thirring of Austria, who de- nied that the tests constituted any danger, the scientists agreed that the tests should be stopped. Ww PROF. YASUSHI NISHI- VAK, Biological Institute, Osa- ka, Japan: The ~increased amount of strontium-90 fall- out certainly increases poten- tial hazards. However, stron- tium-90 is not the only ele- ment which is harmful. All the other radioisotopes unnec- essarily scattered all over the world may be expected to in- crease potential risks to a greater or lesser extent. How these consequences to the human organism become manifest depends upon the method of protection. One of the striking aspects of radiation injury is that there is a long latent period, sometimes several months and some‘imes more than 20 years. As far as genetical injuries are concerned, we must wait at least several geneyations and when those genetical ef- Norway, Indian and Soviet Union, Czechoslo- Australia. fects becomfe manifest it will late to do anything. we must stop the he too Therefore nuclear bomb tests before those effects become manifest. There is no part of the world which can escape these effects ... PROF. CHARLES A. COULSON, Oxford University England: Many scientists in this country are deeply. con- cerned about the effects of radioactivity following either the testing of H-bombs or their use in war. These effects in- clude. a. bone cancer, from radio- strontium taken up in the bones. b. leukemia through the same radioostronium. c. increased idiocy rate. d. greater likelihood of ster- ilisation, e. genetic mutations, whose effect would be spread over many generations. Unfortunately we do not yet have sufficient accurate data to be sure how many people will be affected in each of the ways listed above. But there is evidence to believe that al- ready a good deal of damage has been caused and gyill con- tinue :to be caused by fall-out during the next ten years. This is independent of whether any more. atomic bombs are exX- ploded or not. In these circumstances it seems that no further tests should take place DR. FERDINAND HERCIK, Biological and Physical Insti- tute of Czechoslovak Acad- emy of Sciences: No part of the world is safe because most of the substances released by the explosion get into the stratosphere from. where they fall to lower atmospheric lay- ers and are then carried to earth by rain. Qnly on the north and south poles is the fall-out of radioactive particles smaller, bd One of the U.S. tests held in Nevada last month. Not only all tests of nuclear weapons but also their pro- duction must be stopped im- mediately . . PROF. A. I. OPARIN, Mos- cow University: . . . The sig- nificance of radioactive .stron- tium-90 is that it settles in the human organism in the bones and supplants calcium, it has a long-lasting effect on very important partS of the bone such as the bone marrow, on the pituitary body, etc. This manifests itself in man’s health and in the vitality of the organism. A very serious danger is in- herent in the fact that stron- tium-90 belongs to those ele- ments which accumulate in living organisms in a greater quantity than in the surround- ings of these organisms. Es- pecially plants which grow in the soil containing strontium amass this element, which in concentrated form then gets into the organism of milch cattle. Therefore one cannot sim- ply and mechanically proceed from those concentrations which we have around us, but one must take into considera- tion the possibility of an in- crease of this element in food. Although our knowledge in this field is still limited, this fact causes great alarm. i The danger is greater than it would be possible to antici- pate on the.basis of general concentrations in our envir- onment which are created as a result of atomic weapon ex- plosions ... Atomic weapon tests must be stopped immediately and as a further step weapons of mass destruction must be banned al- together. I am convinced that an atomic war in any part of the world, even on a limited scale, would be the ruin of mankind. PROF. MICHEL MAGAT, National Centre for Scientific Research, France: .. . I per- sonally have been trying since 1948 to warn public opinien on. the danger of atomic war and from the very moment of the appearance of . the hydrogen bomb of the danger of too many H-bomb test explosions. Those scientists who consider that test explosions are not dangerous and base their opin- ion on the average radio- activity of the atmosphere wrongly neglect’ the danger of biological accumulation of radioactive elements. In ad- dition, no one today can say what is the maximum tolerable dose from the genetic point of view in case of permanent radiation. .. It is necessary to distinguish between, immediate effects of radiation, long-term effects on individuals exposed to radia- tion, and genetic effects. Only the limit of tolerance for im- mediate effects is known more or less; this has not been weached yet by far. As far as long-term effects are concern~- ed... it will be possible to rouke conclusions in 15 or 20 years AGREE Two measures must “| taken: Immediate -cessation | atomic tests, either on the P of an international agreem®) or by unilateral decision y interested countries ..- A, scientific conference ™ be called immediately in wh scientists should take part 0% basis of equality ... | PROF. I. T. ROSENQU Research Geotechnical 1* tute, Oslo, Norway: ‘i though there are many: known factors of a piologi@ geophysical and chemical tufe connected with the. rad! active fall-out, one thing ‘is yond doubt; namely, that # increasing amount of rad! activity in the processes of ture causes disturbances to living organisms in the wok eres) |), Probably both individ™, and humanity as a whole © be influenced, including ~ ‘born generations... By the misuse of nat) scientific research work i politicians have endangeré all. f Lessening of internalle tension must be achieve all nuclear weapon tests be discontinued . The nal! that is the fitst to anno¥, that its country will stoP_ clear, weapon tests will 7 the sympathy of’ all mank! July 5, 1937 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—P d