=9hjn might be counting on the "persuasive" infiuence of the bomb, despite contrary professions, may be hurting the pride of the Soviet leaders and malcing them less conciliatory. Whether our possession of the bomb has made the Soviet leaders more cautious in their policy toward certain regions, such as China, in which this country is knowmto regard itself as being particularly interested is, of course, impossible to tell. Al) one can say is that there is no evidence that the Russians would have acted more aggressively if we had not possessed the bomb. Tf the monopoly cannot and should not be made to serve as an instrument of diplomatic pressure, must the idea of actually using the bomb as a military weapon also under all circumstances be rvled out? The fact is that some people in this country are wondering whether there might not be purposes which would ‘justify, if not an atomic attack on the Soviet Union, then at least the threat of such an attack 68 If we should become involved in an atomic war after the monopoly has been lost, more people might ask themselves whether out of sentimentality, complacency or ignorance an opportunity, uniqueand never to recur, had not been (~ git + lost. “\ = To the credit of the American people it SanbeAa that where the question has been raised at all the attention has centered on ways and means bywhich atomic bombing or the threat of such bombing could be made toserve the interests of mankind and of the peace of the world. A few isolated voices have been heard to suggest that we launch a preventive war against the Soviet Union forthe sake of national security. Such opinions may be held by people who are so firmly convinced of the inevitability of a Soviet-American war that they would not shrink from the idea of striking now when perhaps forthe last time American 68. Mr. A. Sokoloff writing in the Moscow New Times of November 16, 1915, says, "The atomic bomb is a signal for reactionnaires all over the world to agitate for a new crusade against the Soviet Union." He attributes to these groups in the English-speaking countries a design to reduce the Soviet Union to the rank . of a second-rate power through the use of the atom bomb.