Citizen Hughes - Michael Drosnin [100]
In fact, Hughes had already worked out a bold scheme for the governor. A plot to have Laxalt seize control of all federal land in Nevada, of course including the nuclear test site.
“Do you realize how much of this state is so-called ‘owned’ by the Fed. Gov.?” wrote Hughes. “Well, I think it requires only the slightest little effort by Laxalt to have all or nearly all of that land returned to the State.
“If we could persuade Laxalt to make such a request, it would not have to be linked by Laxalt to the bomb testing. We could get somebody else to focus attention on the Test Site, if we could only persuade Laxalt to ask the return of all land taken from the state by the Federal Gov.
“Now, Bob, lets face it, Laxalt is not going to do even this meager act of assistance unless we motivate him. I urge that, since he is not running for office this year, we ask him to designate a candidate he would like us to support in a big way—Nixon, or Senate or Congressional candidates.”
Obviously, however, Hughes could not wait around for Laxalt to perform that meager act, nor could he any longer depend on the other local politicians.
He would have to take his fight directly to the people.
“Anything the AEC can do in brain-washing, we can do better,” he declared, plotting his public-opinion campaign. “The advantage always favors the one who is trying to create fear, over the one who is trying to erase it.
“Bob,” he went on, “it is essential that we cast fears in the public’s mind—real fears—as to water pollution, earthquakes, damage to the tourist trade.
“We must draw the public’s attention to the plight of the sheep in Utah to destroy the simple all-out faith that people seem to have in any info released by the government.
“I dont give a damn how much it costs or what extremes must be resorted to.”
Should the blast be detonated, all was lost. Having survived the holocaust, the populace would assume a stance of false bravado, ignorant of the real, hidden peril, ready to accept continued bombing without question. The whole awful scenario was all too clear:
“People love to be near danger and tell their friends about it, saying, ‘Oh, it was nothing, really.’
“I can picture the local residents writing to friends in other cities, and saying: ‘Well, we had another Nuclear test today, we are all beginning to get used to them now, so that we just take them in stride.’
“And Bob, when that attitude prevails, I assure you more and more people will be swung over to the N.T.S. supporters. Those people will lose confidence in us because we were unable to stop the blast. They will reason that it must be safe or the U.S. Government never would have allowed it.”
There was only one answer. To stampede public opinion now and block the impending test. No approach was off limits, no conceivable ally was to be ignored.
“Bob, I see this as a proposition where all the peace seekers, beatniks, etc. could be carefully persuaded by a skillful publicity campaign, that this explosion would benefit only big business—the big corporations, the Establishment,” wrote Hughes, willing now to denounce capitalism and consort with welfare mothers to end the bombing.
“The protestors are saying: ‘If you have money enough to send men to the moon, how about taking care of the poor on earth.’
“Well, this same logic can be used, I believe, to generate a protest against the testing of nuclear weapons here in Nevada.
“In other words, all your efforts have been channeled toward the hazards of bomb testing in terms of earthquakes, pollution, etc.,” he concluded. “But, maybe, without lessening in any slightest way your efforts in this direction, you can generate added protest against the nuclear tests here, on the basis that the expenditure of funds should be directed instead toward domestic anti-poverty causes.”
Of course, no such high-minded appeal would reach the jaded citizens of Las Vegas. For them, an entirely different approach