Not only was the Voom the "sub-atomic" power in the littlest cat's hat, it's eventual purpose was to cleanse the Red (pink) from the snow. The book was published in 1958, the cold war between the US and USSR was ramping up with over 100 combined nuclear tests in 1957 alone. Geisel was a vocal proponent of the US in WWII and eventually served in the US Army (as an animator).