ABSTRACT
The chapter defines the aspects as two-fold: first, the atomic bomb's immensely destructive power, superior to anything else that has ever existed; and second, nuclear power's potential as a new, ground-breaking energy source. Truman's statement conveyed the news of the atomic bomb, with an emphasis on its explosive power. It began: 'Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy'. There are arguments that Truman and his high officials involved in the Manhattan Project were not aware of the radiation effects, or were ignorant of them. This would justify the emphasis in Truman's statement on the bomb's mighty blast power. According to the lawyer Shi'ina Masae (1985, 34-38), by early September 1945 American forces had already grasped the disastrous consequences of radiation effects for the residents of Hiroshima.
