Prize Essay, 1949
*The opinions or assertions in this article are the private ones of the author, and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large.
A belief that is fast becoming the central core of our national defense thinking X A. appears consistently in many of our national forums; namely, that the atom bomb is a miraculous panacea for all of our military ills. For example, a recent article, based on an interview with General George C. Kenney, then head of the Strategic Air Command, states that “ . . . today, strategic bombing authorities are concerned with only one bomb load—the atom bomb.” However great and awe-inspiring the power of the A-bomb, it is but simple common sense to attempt an evaluation before we accept it as the main shot in our weapons locker. This is particularly important in view of the above- expressed tendency to rely completely and solely on this weapon to preserve our national security. Are we jeopardizing the safety of our nation by such complete reliance?
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