Aug. 8, 1945; 60 PER CENT OF HIROSHIMA WIIPED OUT:

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 8, 1945

 

Five Major Industrial
Targets in City Destroyed
By Terrific Explosion

 By Associated Press

GUAM, Aug. 8.—Four and one-tenth square miles "or 60 per cent" of Hiroshima were wiped out by the devastating atomic bomb dropped Monday by a B-29, the U.S. Army Strategic Airforce Headquarters reported Wednesday.

Five major industrial targets were wiped out in the city of six and nine-tenths square miles.

"Additional damage was shown outside ,the completely demolished area," said a communique based on reconnaissance photographs made over the city of 343,000 on the morning of the day 'the bomb was dropped by a Superfort which felt the concussion of t h e parachute-dropped weapon while 10 miles away.

More to Come
The men who participated could give no estimate of the damage other than that it "must have been extensive. “But they did relate that the lone bomb struck squarely in the center of the industrial-military city of 343,000 on southern Honshu in the Japanese mainland Aug. 6 (Pacific time* with-a flash and concussion that brought an exclamation of "My God!" from a battle-hardened Superfortress crew 10 miles away.

For following- up on other enemy targets,- there are more B-29s ready to carry more of the' same awesome bombs. This was announced here by General Carl S. Spaatz, commander of the U.S. Army Strategic Airforce.

 President Truman

In White House
Chief Executive Back in Washington
After Big Three Conference

By Associated Press

WASH!NGTON, Aug. 7.—President Truman returned to the White House Tuesday night from the Big Three con erence at Potsdam. His special train reached' here at 10:50 p. m: Eastern War Time.
A cabinet meeting was called for Friday.  He will be back at his White House desk Wednesday.

The President plans to delay any news conferences until he has made a radio address to the nation on the agreements reached in 'Germany with British and Russian leaders.-----------------------------------------------------------

The Chief Executive brought back agreements signed . with Britain and Russia intended to keep the peace of Europe and to complete plans with the British for the knock-out assault .upon Japan.

A .key to the British-American strategy is the successful use-of the new atomic bomb, first announced to the world Monday by Mr. Truman.

 

Jap Cabinet

Called Into
Session

By Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 7.
The Japanese cabinet was reported assembled m special session Tuesday, presumably to discuss the drastic turn of events prompted by the loosing of an atomic bomb on the homeland.
As enemy broadcasts warned the people to brace for renewed attacks by the superbombs,
N.B.C. in New York picked up a N.B.C. broadcast quoting the Tokyo radio as saying the cabinet had been called together.

B.B.C. said the wording of the broadcast implied that Premier Suzuki had summoned his advisers to discuss the atomic bomb raid which ripped the big military base of Hiroshima Monday.

'Diabolic Weapon"

Throughout the day the Japanese had broadcast repeated accounts of the new bomb, carefully refraining from" using the word "atomic" or admitting the breadth of destruction, but branding

it a "diabolic weapon."

"Since it is presumed that the enemy .planes will continue to use this new bomb," the Osaka radio said in a domestic broadcast, "the authorities will' point out measures to cope with it immediately."

 

Atomic Bomb
Peace Weapon
By Associated Press
LONDON, Aug. 7.—The revolutionary atomic bomb might become the peace-enforcing weapon of the United Nations through  a special air police force equipped  with the secret, terrible missile
by the United States and Britain, some diplomats suggested Tuesday.
They also speculated that the bombs would 'raise' the 'question of putting all military-important scientific inventions under control of the United -Nations security council when the new world organization is born.

One prime. question was whether the secret of the atomic bomb would be—or 'should be— shared with other Allied nations, and whether -Russia already had been informed of the secret,

Stick in Peace
There was general agreement that the weapon could become the "big stick" of peace and security, provided it did not fall into the wrong hands,, and that it promised.to change radically the modern
concepts of security and strategy.

Vatican Paper

Disapproves
Atomic Bomb

By Associated Press

VATICAN CITY, Aug. 7— The Vatican City newspaper  Qsservatore Romano today published brief news reports of President Truman's announcement of the atomic bomb and in an. Editorial said, "This incredible destructive instrument remains a temptation for posterity."

The editorial, appended to the news stories, said the great Italian inventor and artist Leonardo Da Vinci destroyed his plans for a submarine because he feared that man would apply it to the

ruin of civilization, adding,' "mankind did not think as did Leonardo."

The official Vatican press office allowed itself to be quoted as saying: "The use of atomic bombs in Japan has created ., an unfavorable impression on the Vatican." Other Vatican authorities declined to comment.

 

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