Such a world-wide geological survey would be futile, as only a few
hundred pounds of lithium would be necessary to produce enough tritium
for a relatively large H-bomb stockpile, and such amounts could be
hidden right now from available stocks.
10. DO THE TECHNICAL FACTS OF THE H-BOMB MEAN THAT NOW, MORE THAN EVER,
THE UNITED NATIONS PLAN IS THE CORRECT APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL
CONTROL?
Various critics of the UN plan have denied that management control over
“dangerous” plants is essential to protect against violations.
High-power reactors are among the plants to be classified as “dangerous”
under the UN plan, and these same reactors are the ones which might
produce not merely plutonium but tritium in quantity. Likewise, an
international agency would possess authority to check the design of any
isotope separation unit and to assume the right of construction and
operation if these fall into the “dangerous” category. Deuterium may be
obtained through isotopic separation. Do such facts as these refute the
critics and demonstrate that managerial and material control by the
United Nations, over and above inspection, is more than ever necessary
in order to prevent diversion of nuclear fuel or illegal irradiation of
lithium?