\ -102~ \ Similar considerations would apply to the plants which :produce the bombs. If their omership were transferred to the UNG, the effect on Soviet—American relations would depend entirely on the location of these plants, If they re- mained in this country, our monopoly, as far as any threat to the Soviet Union is concerned, would not have been touched. Or does anyone believe that in case of war we would fail to use plants which were within our reach? The establish- ment of an international police force and its equipment with atomic bombs may prove to be a worthwhile objective for many reasons; it cannot solve the problen. AO ee . . . 1. a° . . 4, ‘ . which the atomic weapon has introduced into SovietpAmerican relations. \e j ae t . The discussion of the "bargaining ¥alue" of ounatone monopoly has led to negative conclusions. The monopoly has no value which would allow it to be ex- ' changed for immediate and substantial guarantees against the future dangers of atomic power. We can no more end our monopoly for the good of mankind than we can use the atomic bomb for that purpose, The line which our government, to-~ gether with others, has taken offers the only practical alternative, It con- sists—as a later chapter will show-~in using for the preparation and negotiation of agreements the breathing spell which our sole possession of the bomb gives to the world. Such agreements would be designed to minimize the dangers inherent in a situation in which more than one country possesses atomic weapons. All the efforts now under way within the UNO are in the nature of such preparatory spade work, While they cannot prevent the advent of a condition of dual or multiple possession, they should, at least, allow this country to examine dispassionately its position on the day when its monopoly will end. Attempts to push beyond what may seem a modest goal or to try to lay obstacles in the way of Russian parity with the United States would disturb Soviet~American relations and thus increase the danger they were designed to eliminate. Onec the Soviet Union—and perhaps other countrics—-starts producing atomic bombs, thereby putting an end to our monopoly, a truly revolutionary change will have occurred in the military position of this country. While it may still prove 108