December 8, 1957
OPTIMISM: London, 7 – There have been varied reactions around the world to the failure of the USA to launch its first artificial satellite. In America, there has been harsh criticism but no discouragement concerning future attempts in the sector of guided missiles and satellites. In many communist countries, there has been satisfaction, while in Western Europe there has been some displeasure over the publicity building up to the launch attempt. It has not been possible to discern the reason for the explosion of the Vanguard rocket, although various technical experts are searching the site and the remnants of the rocket for clues. Officially, the issue is considered to be part of a scientific experiment that could fail before being perfected, but in a democratic country like the USA, such failures should not be concealed from the people who know what efforts must be made to deal with the threat of communism. After all, the Soviet Union made 16 unsuccessful attempts to launch a satellite before finally succeeding. According to reports from New York, congressmen, particularly Democrats, are angry at the widespread publicity given to the failed attempt.
