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Show dSeliind tlie JdeadltneA week. Stevenson has been able to say "I told you so." But there are also other dramatic dra-matic developments concerning the atom on the eve of the elections elec-tions that caused many skeptical politicians to wonder if Stevenson's Steven-son's "ban the bomb" may not now be a winning, popular issue at home as well as abroad. Certainly Los Angeles Democrats Demo-crats now feel that it is, following follow-ing the radioactivity scare that occurred during the last days of the U. E. A tests in Nevada. The Atomic Energy Commission denies de-nies that the increase radioactivity radioac-tivity and other western areas is dangerous. However, the AEC's own secretive policies have given rise to misconceptions and fears concerning radioactivity, which don't help its public relations or the GOPoliticians. And it is difficult dif-ficult to decide whether the warning by AEC Chairman Mc-Cone Mc-Cone that the "U. S. stands ready to resume new and advanced A-tests A-tests if the Geneva atom talks fail" has scared Moscow or the Americans in the far west more. The AEC is now concentrating on the detonation of A bombs beneath the surface of the earth. There is a minimum of radioactivity, radioac-tivity, no fallout lessons to be learned in detection of A blasts and in the adaptation of A bombs for mining operations. But there is also the fear, now only whispered among some scientists sci-entists and those opposed to A-tests A-tests that the detonation of A-bombs A-bombs underground can cause "geological disturbances." Some fear that the detonation of great explosions underground could cause great earthquakes. They cite the sizeable, but harmless The Presidential prospects of more than one of the 1960 hopefuls hope-fuls rose or fell as a result of Tuesday's elections. However, it is ironic in Democratic sweepstakes, sweep-stakes, especially, that the hopes of Adlai Stevenson, who was not even directly affected by the voting vot-ing skyrocketed most of all this week. It is especially intriguing to consider the role of the atom bomb in helping to launch the new Stevenson "boom." As most Democrats view 1960, the principal roadblock to their hopes for recapturing the Presidency Presi-dency is the threat of a serious North-South split again on civil rights and school integration. Renomination of two-time loser Adlai Stevenson still is seen by many Democrats as the best means of sidestepping the issue, since Stevenson has been found acceptable to both North and South before. Nomination of any of the other major Democratic contenders risks a hazardous Democratic party split, which Vice President Nixon is eager to capitalize on. Many Democratic leaders who enthusiastically backed Stevenson Steven-son in 1952 and 1956, however, are cool in a third attempt even though they admit Stevenson would be the answer to the problem prob-lem presented by the South. The reason many of these cooled toward to-ward Stevenson, even during the 1956 campaign itself, is something some-thing that goes far beyond the fear of a third nomination for a two-time loser especially when they smell victory in the air. Many Democratic leaders still say privately that Sevenson may have won or done better in 1956 if he had not "thrown the election elec-tion away." The pollsters and politicians agree that voters turned against Adlai in droves in 1956 from the moment the Hungarian revolt and Suez-Israeli crisis began, on the very eve of the election. Both these crises called for a strong U. S. foreign and military policy, broad international experience ex-perience and bold measures in meeting the Communist threat and avoiding war. But it was at this moment that Stevenson chose to call for the recognition of Red China, an end to the draft and the immediate immedi-ate cesessation of U. S. atomic tests. Today, Stevenson is able to claim that the country has come around to his point of view, that he was right in calling for a ban on atomic tests, at least, if not on the other two points as well. It is in the matter of banning atomic tests in particular that Stevenson now feels the country is more nearer his viewpoint than it was in 1956. He points to President Eisenhower's own offer to suspend A tests for at least one year if the Russians do. The Geneva atomic talks with the Soviets got underway on the very eve of the elections this quake registered in a remote area of northern California a few hours after a Hiroshima-size A bomb was detonated underground under-ground in Nevada. Some scientists scoff at this. However, all, including some of the most reputable and the AEC experts, can't say positively that there is no connection. The U. S. Bureau of Mines and the United Mine Workers Union are studying study-ing it. Some coal mining communities commu-nities openly fear more mine collapses col-lapses if bigger and bigger underground un-derground A tests are resumed. |