THE ATOMIC AGE: Regrets & Realities

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Neither Russian saber-rattling nor nervous visions of the onrush of Armageddon impressed the Western leaders who must deal with the stern realities of power. From Oslo Premier Einar Gerhardsen, unmoved by Soviet threats against his nation, fired off a note informing the Russians that Norway's defense was her own business. In Britain Macmillan assured the Labor Opposition that the Christmas Island test would be held. "Those who carry responsibility and perhaps even those who aspire to responsibility must make decisions," he said. "We must rely on the power of the nuclear deterrent, or we must throw up the sponge."