  The effects of initial-state Coulomb interactions in the
charge-symmetry-breaking reaction dd -> alpha pi^0 are investigated within a
previously published formalism. This is a leading order effect in which the
Coulomb interaction between the two initial state protons leads to the breakup
of the two deuterons into a continuum state that is well connected to the final
alpha pi^0 state by the strong emission of a pion. As a first step, we use a
simplified set of d and alpha wave functions and a plane-wave approximation for
the initial dd state. This Coulomb mechanism, by itself, yields cross sections
that are much larger than the experimental ones, and which are comparable in
size to the contributions from other mechanisms. Inclusion of this mechanism is
therefore necessary in a realistic calculation.
