Einstein's Letters of 1939 and 1945 and Szilard's Petition of 1945
There were certainly a number of cautionary flags waved at the Executive Branch in the period just before the atomic bomb was first used against a Japanese target. As I wrote in an earlier post here, Dwight Eisenhower was adamantly opposed to the use of the bomb on a city, preferring an example to be made of the thing on an unpopulated area; in his memoirs, General Spaatz (who had received the only written communication authorizing the use of the bomb) was privately against using the weapon on a city. As early as 1939 Albert Einstein famously communicated with Franklin Roosevelt his concerns on the possibility of the terrifying nature of a bomb produced by his early efforts and those of Fermi and Szilard and many others. In all Einstein wrote four letters to the President, the first part of the first letter is shown below:
The First Einstein Letter to Roosevelt, 1939
[Einstein letter source: American Institute of Physics, here.]
The Leo Szilard Petition, with the full text below:
On July 17, 1945, Leo Szilard and 69 co-signers at the Manhattan Project Metallurgical Laboratory in Chicago signed a petition (written by Szilard) to President Roosevelt, calling on the powers that be to reconsider using the bomb against a city target not only on moral grounds but also as a template for what the near-future would bring so far as the proliferation of the bomb was concerned. It seems that they were saying that the use of the bomb in July 1945 would make it more plausible for the use of far more destructive bombs in the coming years. ("If after this war a situation is allowed to develop in the world which permits rival powers to be in uncontrolled possession of these new means of destruction, the cities of the United States as well as the cities of other nations will be in continuous danger of sudden annihilation.")
They continued:
"All the resources of the United States, moral and material, may have to be mobilized to prevent the advent of such a world situation. Its prevention is at present the solemn responsibility of the United States -- singled out by virtue of her lead in the field of atomic power...",
certainly warning the President of the pandora aspect of the employment of Fat Man.
In general the group was against using the weapon--except if it were absolutely necessary:
"...then, in certain circumstances, find itself forced to resort to the use of atomic bombs. Such a step, however, ought not to be made at any time without seriously considering the moral responsibilities which are involved."
This is the tricky spot, the balancing point, of the entire discussion on whether to drop the bomb--was using the bomb, (in "certain circumstances") a necessity?
[Document source via Gene Dannen, here, http://www.dannen.com/decision/45-07-17.html, also with a list of all of the signers.]
The text of the Petition, as follows [again from the Gene Dannen site, who undertook the transacription of the document; see his site here for the full document]
"Discoveries of which the people of the United States are not aware may affect the welfare of this nation in the near future. The liberation of atomic power which has been achieved places atomic bombs in the hands of the Army. It places in your hands, as Commander-in-Chief, the fateful decision whether or not to sanction the use of such bombs in the present phase of the war against Japan."
...
"We, the undersigned scientists, have been working in the field of atomic power. Until recently, we have had to fear that the United States might be attacked by atomic bombs during this war and that her only defense might lie in a counterattack by the same means. Today, with the defeat of Germany, this danger is averted and we feel impelled to say what follows..."
...
"The war has to be brought speedily to a successful conclusion and attacks by atomic bombs may very well be an effective method of warfare. We feel, however, that such attacks on Japan could not be justified, at least not unless the terms which will be imposed after the war on Japan were made public in detail and Japan were given an opportunity to surrender. [Italic and bold mine.]
...
"In view of the foregoing, we, the undersigned, respectfully petition: first, that you exercise your power as Commander-in-Chief, to rule that the United States shall not resort to the use of atomic bombs in this war unless the terms which will be imposed upon Japan have been made public in detail and Japan knowing these terms has refused to surrender; second, that in such an event the question whether or not to use atomic bombs be decided by you in light of the considerations presented in this petition as well as all the other moral responsibilities which are involved."
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