DATE=6/3/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-233300
TITLE= DOOMSDAY CLOCK MEETING (L-O)
BYLINE= MICHAEL LELAND
DATELINE= CHICAGO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE KEEPERS OF THE SO-CALLED "DOOMSDAY CLOCK" MEET
BEGINNING THURSDAY IN THE MIDWEST U-S CITY OF CHICAGO. THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS OF THE CHICAGO-BASED BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC
SCIENTISTS WILL CONSIDER WHETHER TO MOVE THE HANDS OF THE CLOCK
CLOSER TO MIDNIGHT. THE CLOCK IS CONSIDERED A SYMBOL OF HOW
CLOSE THE WORLD IS TO NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE. MORE FROM VOA'S
MICHAEL LELAND.
TEXT: THE "DOOMSDAY CLOCK" APPEARS ON THE COVER OF THE
BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION "BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS." IT
HAS READ 14-MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT SINCE 1995, AND DURING THE NEXT
FEW DAYS, THE BULLETIN'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL DISCUSS POSSIBLY
MOVING THE HANDS. EDITOR MIKE MOORE SAYS A DECISION IS NOT
LIKELY TO BE MADE DURING THE MEETINGS.
// MOORE ACT #1 //
I JUST CAN NOT PREDICT HOW LONG. THERE ARE JUST TOO
MANY THINGS WE DO NOT KNOW. WE DO NOT MOVE THE
CLOCK IN A CASUAL SORT OF WAY AND WE WANT TO GET MORE
INFORMATION.
// END ACT //
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD ALREADY PLANNED TO DISCUSS WHETHER THE
CLOCK'S HANDS NEEDED READJUSTING BEFORE INDIA CONDUCTED ITS
NUCLEAR TESTS LAST MONTH. MR. MOORE SAYS THOSE TESTS, AND MORE
RECENT ONES BY PAKISTAN, HAS CREATED A SOMEWHAT GREATER SENSE OF
URGENCY.
// MOORE ACT #2 //
THE MAJOR CONCERN IN MY MIND IS WHETHER THEY ARE SERIOUS
ABOUT MATING WARHEADS TO MISSILES. THAT WOULD PUT
EVERYBODY ON A HAIR-TRIGGER. AT THE MOMENT PAKISTAN
DOES NOT SEEM TO BE WILLING TO DO THAT AND CERTAINLY
INDIA IS NOT INDICATING THAT IT WILL DO THAT.
// END ACT //
MR. MOORE SAYS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLICATION'S BOARD MEMBERS WILL
CONTINUE THEIR DISCUSSIONS BY E-MAIL IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING THE
CHICAGO MEETING, AND DECIDE LATER WHETHER TO RESET THE SO-CALLED
DOOMSDAY CLOCK.
PAKISTAN AND INDIA ARE NOT THE ONLY NUCLEAR COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
BOARD MEMBERS CONCERNED. MR. MOORE SAYS THEY HAVE BEEN VERY
DISSATISFIED WITH ARMS CONTROL PROGRESS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES
AND RUSSIA.
// MOORE ACT #3 //
THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA ARE REALLY NOT GOING
VERY FAST IN CUTTING DOWN THE NUMBERS OF NUCLEAR
WEAPONS. BETWEEN THEM, THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA
STILL HAVE ABOUT 35-THOUSAND BOMBS AND WARHEADS IN
VARIOUS STATES OF READINESS. BOTH SIDES HAVE MANY
WEAPONS ON 15-MINUTE ALERT.
// END ACT //
THE BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS IS PUBLISHED AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. IT CREATED THE CLOCK IN 1947 TO SYMBOLIZE
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NUCLEAR AGE. THE CLOSEST THE CLOCK HAS EVER
BEEN TO MIDNIGHT WAS BACK IN 1953. THE CLOCK'S HANDS WERE SET
AT TWO-MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT AFTER THE UNITED STATES TESTED ITS
FIRST HYDROGEN BOMB. (SIGNED)
NEB/MJL/KL
03-Jun-98 3:56 PM EDT (1956 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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