Full article " Mabel MacDonald wins first prize in Atomic Essay Contest." A runner up was Virginia Johnson of Douglass High School. Prize was awarded by Loudoun Provisional League of Women Voters.
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Mabel MacDonald, Atomic Power, Virginia Johnson, Douglass HS, League of Women Voters
Wmnérs of the $5 00 prlzes for
the best essay in each high school
“What Atomlc EnergyIf only one
Means to Loudoun Count,y » Misg through, it could practically wipe
MacDonald was awarded the $25
prize offered by the Loudoun Pro-
visional League of Wemem ‘Vo-» Hiroshima bomb.
Lwe Wzth the Atom and lee It
2ref $¢r‘0r77;
: (Sixthfiartxcle in a series)
-~ One thing on earth is more
sowerful than the atom. That is
the power of thoughtwyour think-
ing and your neighbors’. Thinking
together can help hold atomic
power under control. You don’t
need a complete plan of that con-
trol, but you should understand
certain basic facts. Here are some
facts that atomlc scientists agree
on.
1. There is no secret of the
atomic bomb. The principles of
atomic energy are so widely known
.that in five to ten years any ma-
~jor industrial nation .can make
~ atomic bombs without getting any
of our ‘‘secrets.”
2. Uranium ore is avallable to all
“major countries.
3. Almost any country is finan-
~ Mabel MacDonaId of Leesburg cially able to make bombs.
H1gh School was the county win-
ner in the: essay contest on the
In a few years those bombs
could come in rockets.
5. There is no adequate defense.
single bomb got
out Richmond.
6. Bombs made ‘now are many
times more powerful than the
7. Enemy agents could carry
‘bomb parts into our cities in
suitcases. The bomb could be as-
sembled and hidden and later ex-
with three or more entrants were ploded by radio signal. If an atom-
Phyllis Kephart, JLincoln:; Kath
ryn Albaugh, Aldie, and Robert
Ta1t Lovettsvflle Judges for the
ic armament race develops, secur-
ity agents would have to search
all our houses for hidden bombs.
8. We might not even know
_contest were Mrs. William S. Ash- what country dropped or planted
brook Mrs.: Robert S. Pickens and
Colonel H. H. Slaughter.
Wlth the. a,nnouncement toaay,
the month- long county program
on atomlc eneroy sponsored by the |
the Loudoun Provisional League
of Women Voters, was ended. More
than half the schools of the coun-
'ty had seen slide films on the Sub-
ject. Women 5 orgamzatlons‘gto the
number of 18 featured atomic en-
ergy 1nforma§10n or films on their
ploglams Several mens orgam»q
7atxons heard special speakers
Four, men from Washington, fand
the Umvels]ty of Vnomla, had ad-
dressed pubhc meetmgs The ;\Ia,~
tional Atomic Energy Comiz. 1s-
sion had sent a representa.twe to f
Loudoun to learn about the pro- |
gram and commended it as an |
example to other commun1t1e§
.
‘bombs. What could we do then?
9. Put our cities underground?
iDo you think this is nractical? Be-
sides, atomic bombs may be made
powerful enough to blast out even
such cities.
10. This nation will be an easy
target when atomic bombs are
widely owned. Having more bombs
cities and factories that have been
bombed.
What’s the answer?
A report of the General Staff of
the United States Army says ‘“the
only sure defense” of this country
is to build a peaceful world. That
means we must make the United
Nations work. We must understand
the facts and help others to un-
derstand them. Only by thinking
together can we work together
How can We put atomlc energy
‘under world control?
?‘%;Sw, Ty
|set up by the United Nations in
|January, 1946, has made its First
__{Report. This Report “is not a plan
* : \ :
ous” aectivities would make surprise
lish world control is right now, be-
than anyone else won't restore.
The Atomic Energy Commission |
atomic bomb attacks impossible,
because making enough fission§ 1
material for bombs is such
job it could not possibly b
secret from the Authority.
4. The Authority would lead
world research for peaceful uses of
atomic energy and keep in touch
with all atomic scientists.
These Commission findings are
essentially the same points pro-
posed by the United States. They
have been carefully studied by rep- |
resentatives of twelve different
countries, all of whom, including
Russia, accept the Report as a
“Workmg paper” on which to base
further discussions.
This country proposes to turn
over all atomic bombs, informa-
tion, and facilities to the interna-
tional Authority when that body is:
considered to be in good workmg»
order. The timing of that transfer
is one of the chief points of dif-
ference about the plan. The other
chief difference concerns the ques-
tion of how far the veto should
apply to ‘the Authorltys work.
Various suggestions are Dbeing
studied for reachmg agreements
on those two issues.
There is no real ‘secret” of
atomic energy. The time to estab-