1172. “We were . . . us there”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 83.
1173. “He came . . . soda water”: Snow (1967), p. 52ff.
1174. “Daran . . . gedacht!”: Nathan and Norden (1960), p. 291; Clark (1971), p. 669ff.
1175. “very quick . . . to object”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 83.
1176. Einstein dictated a letter: cf. ibid, for an English paraphrase of this first Einstein draft. The letter to Roosevelt that eventually resulted is often erroneously attributed to LS. As will become apparent, that letter grew directly from this first draft.
1177. “He reported . . . this matter”: ibid., p. 90.
1178. Alexander Sachs: cf. Hellman (1945). Sachs’ book title appears on the cover page of Notes on imminence world war in perspective accrued errors and cultural crisis of the inter-war decades, March 10, 1939, MED 319.7.
1179. “took the . . . in person”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 91.
1180. “Although I . . . his promise”: ibid.
1181. Teller midweek: cf. LS to AE, July 19, 1939, ibid., p. 90.
1182. “Perhaps you . . . particularly nice”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 91.
1183. July 30: I find no reference to this date except the garbled account in Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 94, which gives it for the earlier LS-Wigner visit. It fell somewhere between July 20, 1939, when LS called AE to confirm his proposal by letter of July 19, and August 2, 1939, when LS again wrote AE. July 30 looks possible.
1184. “I entered . . . chauffeur”: NOVA (1980), p. 2.
1185. a third text: cf. LS to AE, July 2, 1939: “I am enclosing the German text which we drafted together in Peconic.” Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 92.
1186. “Yes, yes . . . than indirectly”: quoted in Teller (1979), p. 144.
1187. “at long . . . middle man”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 92.
1188. “that you . . . too cleverly”: AE to LS (n.d.). Szilard Papers. Trans. Edda König.
1189. “We will . . . too stupid”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 96. Translation revised.
1190. Lindbergh letter: cf. ibid., p. 99.
1191. “the Administration . . . in America”: ibid., p. 95. This is the letter Sachs ultimately delivered to Roosevelt for AE. Szilard’s accompanying memorandum is in Szilard (1972), p. 201ff.
1192. “If a . . . the case”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 97ff.
1193. “a horrible . . . atomic bombings”: Wigner (1945), p. 28.
1194. “the Hungarian conspiracy”: E. P. Wigner, memorandum to LS, April 16, 1941. Szilard Papers.
1195. “Our social . . . the eye”: U.S. Senate (1945), p. 7.
1196. “a perfect . . . of armour”: Churchill (1948), p. 447.
1197. “Adam and . . . ever since”: Ulam (1976), p. 116.
1198. revulsion against bombings: this discussion follows Hopkins (1966).
1199. “No theory . . . people”: quoted in ibid., p. 454.
1200. “inhuman . . . populations”: quoted in ibid., p. 455.
1201. “one of . . . reprisals”: quoted in ibid., p. 457.
1202. “Although . . . to come”: ibid.
1203. “The ruthless . . . immediate reply”: Roosevelt (1939), p. 454.
1204. a secret conference: cf. Irving (1967), p. 40ff.
1205. Bohr-Wheeler paper: Bohr and Wheeler (1939c).
1206. “Preparatory . . . Fission”: Irving (1967), p. 46n.
1207. “felt that . . . is abolished”: von Weizsäcker (1978), p. 199ff.
1208. “is . . . our man”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 100.
1209. “He says . . . matters stand”: ibid., p. 101.
1210. late afternoon: on the evidence of the brandy and of Sachs’ evening meeting with Briggs.
1211. Watson meeting: according to AS to E. Wigner, Oct. 17, 1939, MED 319.7. Hewlett and Anderson (1962) identify the two participants besides Watson as Adamson and Hoover, the ordnance specialists subsequently appointed to the Uranium Committee, citing a 1947 statement filed by Adamson. Sachs’ contemporary letter is more authoritative.
1212. “Alex . . . up to?”: Moore (1966), p. 268. I have found no other source for this quotation or the Napoleon story but take it Moore interviewed Sachs.
1213. Napoleon story: ibid. Moore places this story near the end of the meeting, but it was clearly designed to catch FDR’s attention. Cf. also Hellman (1945), p. 71: “The October 11th White House interview was one of a considerable series, during which Sachs, according to friends, would ease the President into the discussion with a few learned jokes.”
1214. “Bah! . . . visionists!”: A. C. Sutcliffe, Robert Fulton (Macmillan, 1915), p. 98.
1215. “I am . . . to him”: quoted in Hellman (1945), p. 70.
1216. Sachs did not read the Einstein letter: there is considerable evidence in the record to this point; cf. especially Sachs’ almost-explicit admission at U.S. Senate (1945), p. 10: “The Einstein letter of August 2, from which I quoted in part in my own letter, was left with the President, along with my own letter.” Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 17, confirm the omission: “Sachs read aloud his covering letter, which emphasized the same ideas as the Einstein communication but was more pointed on the need for funds.”
The scientific authority behind the meeting was nevertheless AE’s, as FDR wrote AE on Oct. 19, 1939: “I found this data of such import that I have convened a board . . . to thoroughly investigate the possibilities of your suggestion.” Nathan and Norden (1960), p. 297. Some have questioned the effect of the Einstein/Szilard/Sachs contact. Its effect was to convince FDR to appoint the Advisory Committee on Uranium. The emigrés were hardly to blame for the inadequacies of that committee.
1217. Sachs summation: Sachs (1945).
1218. Sachs intentionally: U.S. Senate (1945), p. 7.
1219. “ambivalence . . . and evil”: ibid., p. 9.
1220. “the more . . . door neighbor”: Aston (1938), p. 113ff. Also quoted in ibid.
1221. “Alex . . . requires action”: U.S. Senate (1945), p. 9.
1222. “Don’t let . . . me again”: ibid.
1223. Tuve deputized Roberts: Roberts (1979), p. 37.
1224. Sachs breakfast: AS to E. Wigner, Oct. 17, 1939. MED 319.7.
1225. Szilard began: cf. his Oct. 26, 1939, memorandum to L. Briggs (Szilard [1972], p. 204ff), which embodies “the statements and recommendations made by me at the meeting of October 21st”: LS to LB, Oct. 26, 1939. Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 110ff.
1226. “too heavy . . . airplane”: Szilard (1972), p. 202.
1227. “In Aberdeen . . . prize yet”: quoted in Teller (1979), p. 144.
1228. ordnance depot: cf. Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 98.
1229. Roberts raised objection: Sachs notes “a strong objection” (Sachs [1945] p. 7) from “scientists who were not as much concerned as these refugee scientists”—U.S. Senate (1945), p. 11. The only other American scientist at the meeting besides Briggs was Möhler. He may have concurred with Roberts, but Roberts had the necessary fast-neutron measurements.
1230. “there are . . . possibility”: Roberts (1939c), p. 613.
1231. the DTM had begun assessing: Roberts writes: “After Florida [i.e., March 1939] I continued work . . . on neutron scattering but my main efforts went into measuring cross-section for fission for neutrons of various energies. These were essential in calculating whether a chain reaction would run.” Roberts (1979), p. 37. Roberts “made rough measurements of the fission cross-section for neutrons in the energy range 500-2000 kv.” Roberts (1940), p. 2.
1232. “very unlikely . . . reaction”: Roberts (1939c), p. 613.
1233. Briggs spoke up: Sachs (1945), p. 11.
1234. “astonished . . . enthusiastic”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 110.
1235. “The issue . . . ahead”: U.S. Senate (1945), p. 11.
1236. “I said . . . is expensive”: Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 98.
1237. “How much . . . need”: Eugene Wigner int
erview, Jan. 21, 1983.
1238. “The diversion . . . such recommendation”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 110.
1239. “For the . . . me yet”: Teller (1979), p. 145.
1240. $33,000: Szilard (1972), p. 205.
1241. “At this . . . be cut”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 85.
1242. “All right . . . your money”: Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 20.
1243. Uranium Committee report: excerpts at Sachs (1945), p. 7ff.
1244. Fermi letter: EF to AOCN, Oct. 28, 1939. A.O.C. Nier, personal communication.
1245. Nier finally began preparing: A.O.C. Nier, personal communication.
Chapter 11: Cross Sections
1246. “I regularly . . . every night”: Otto Frisch OHI, AIP, p. 12.
1247. “in a . . . any good”: ibid., p. 40.
1248. “I first . . . concentration camp”: ibid., p. 39ff.
1249. “So I . . . tourist”: Frisch (1979), p. 120.
1250. “a great . . . sobriety”: ibid., p. 121.
1251. “a sample . . . changed”: ibid., p. 123ff.
1252. “material enriched . . . bottom”: ibid., p. 124.
1253. “the most . . . Hitler war”: Snow (1981), p. 105.
1254. “I managed . . . on time”: Frisch (1979), p. 125.
1255. “That process . . . the trouble”: Frisch (1971), p. 22.
1256. “new explosives . . . by them”: Churchill (1948), p. 386ff.
1257. when Oliphant consulted Peierls: cf. Frisch (1971), p. 123.
1258. Perrin’s formula: Perrin (1939).
1259. Peierls’ formula: Peierls (1939).
1260. “of the . . . practical significance”: Clark (1981), p. 85.
1261. “ran her . . . times since”: Frisch (1979), p. 130.
1262. “Is that . . . written?”: Frisch OHI, AIP, p. 39.
1263. “I wondered . . . be needed?”: Frisch (1979), p. 126.
1264. “we had . . . to happen”: Frisch (1977), p. 23.
1265. 1023 cm2: ibid.
1266. “Just . . . playfully”: ibid., p. 22
1267. “To my . . . or two”: Frisch (1979), p. 126.
1268. four millionths/second: Gowing (1964), p. 391.
1269. “I worked . . . by them”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 88.
1270. “I had . . . be possible”: Frisch (1979), p. 126.
1271. “The cost . . . the war”: Wilson (1975), p. 55.
1272. “Look . . . about that?”: Frisch OHI, AIP, p. 39.
1273. “They . . . me”: Oliphant (1982), p. 17.
1274. “I remember . . . were doing”: Frisch (1977), p. 25.
1275. “On the . . . in uranium”: the full text appears at Gowing (1964), p. 389ff.
1276. “to point . . . discussions”: ibid., p. 389.
1277. “the energy . . . or less”: ibid., p. 391.
1278. “Memorandum . . . ‘super-bomb’ ”: Ronald M. Clark found this document among the papers of Henry Tizard and published it in Clark (1965), p. 214ff.
1279. “I have . . . present time”: quoted in ibid., p. 218.
1280. “I have . . . on it”: Frisch (1979), p. 126.
1281. “heavy water . . . yet known”: Irving (1967), p. 49.
1282. Norsk Hydro: cf. ibid., pp. 49ff, 56ff.
1283. Allier and heavy water: cf. Weart (1979), p. 130ff.
1284. “The complete . . . United States”: York (1976), p. 30. For York on Soviet research cf. p. 29ff.
1285. Japanese studies: cf. Pacific War Research Society (1972) (hereafter PWRS) and Shapley (1978).
1286. Takeo Yasuda: PWRS (1972), p. 18ff.
1287. “We are . . . any day”: quoted in Moore (1966), p. 267.
1288. “this . . . coup”: Churchill (1948), p. 600.
1289. “It was . . . to persecute”: Rozental (1967), p. 160ff.
1290. Nobel Prize medals: cf. de Hevesy (1962), p. 27.
1291. 1.5 tons heavy water: Irving (1967), p. 61.
1292. “What I . . . a committee”: quoted in Clark (1965), p. 218.
1293. “the possibility . . . the Germans”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 92ff.
1294. “We entered . . . be investigated”: Gowing (1964), p. 394.
1295. “unnecessarily excited”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 94.
1296. “I still . . . very low”: quoted in Clark (1965), p. 219.
1297. “Dr. Frisch . . . was feasible”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 95.
1298. “The Committee . . . separation”: Oli-phant (1982), p. 17.
1299. “the most . . . was wrong”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 115.
1300. Watson decided: Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 21.
1301. “a crucial . . . application”: quoted in ibid.
1302. “Divergent chain . . . and carbon”: Szilard (1972), p. 216ff.
1303. “seemed to . . . went home”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 115.
1304. “the most . . . this research”: ibid., p. 122.
1305. “I worked . . . of uranium”: Booth et al. (1969), p. 28.
1306. “very doubtful . . . uranium”: quoted in Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 20.
1307. “These experiments . . . in uranium”: Nier et al. (1940a).
1308. “Furthermore . . . unseparated U”: Nier et al. (1940b).
1309. 400 to 500 × 10−24 cm2: Nier et al. (1940a).
1310. “Cartons of . . . make measurements”: Wilson (1975), p. 83ff. Anderson recalls 1.5 tons of graphite here; but Fermi (1962), FP 136, p. 34, the report of this experiment, confirms the larger figure.
1311. “So physicists . . . happening”: Fermi (1962), p. 1000.
1312. “A precise . . . delight him”: Wilson (1975), p. 84.
1313. 3 × 10~27 cm2: Fermi (1962), p. 32.
1314. “scientists . . . Institution”: Gowing (1964), p. 43.
1315. “It is . . . goose chase”: quoted in Clark (1965), p. 220.
1316. Teller calculation: Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 32.
1317. “the cross-section . . . pure uranium”: Roberts et al. (1940), Introduction, second page.
1318. “I came . . . miracle happened”: Teller (1977), p. 11.
1319. “To deflect . . . my mind”: Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 100.
1320. “In the . . . to go”: Teller (1979), p. 145.
1321. Teller had never bothered: cf. ibid.
1322. “We had . . . to me”: quoted in Forbes, Feb. 18, 1980, p. 62.
1323. “the continuance . . . mystic immunity”: Roosevelt (1941), p. 184.
1324. “Then he . . . be lost”: Teller (1979), p. 145ff.
1325. “but something . . . be lost”: Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 101.
1326. “conquest and . . . different cause”: Roosevelt (1941), pp. 184-187.
1327. “My mind . . . changed since”: Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 101.
1328. “That experience . . . lack meant”: Bush (1970), p. 74.
1329. “It was . . . certainly need”: ibid., p. 33.
1330. “something meshed . . . language”: ibid., p. 35.
1331. “Each of . . . to turn”: ibid., p. 36.
1332. “the threat . . . our minds”: ibid., p. 34.
1333. Bush and Conant proving impossibility: this insightful assessment comes from Dupree (1972), p. 456.
1334. “I remember . . . and voice”: Snow (1967b), p. 149ff.
1335. Franz Simon: cf. Arms (1966).
1336. “use my . . . this country”: ibid., p. 111.
1337. Simon joked: ibid., p. 109.
1338. “It was . . . the streets”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 108.
1339. “Within a . . . the matter”: Moon (1977), p. 544.
1340. “I do . . . taken seriously”: quoted in Gowing (1964), p. 47.
1341. hammered kitchen strainer: Arms (1966), p. 109, says this occurred in “late spring.” Fitted against other events June is a reasonable surmise.
1342. “Arms . . . separate isotopes�
��: ibid.
1343. “The first . . . soda-water”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 110.
1344. MET . . . KENT: quoted in ibid., p. 95.
1345. “an anagram . . . they can”: quoted in ibid., p. 96.
1346. strategic bombing: cf. Burns (1967); Kennett (1982); Saundby (1961).
1347. “short . . . air raid”: quoted in Kennett (1982), p. 112.
1348. “to undertake . . . are available”: quoted in ibid., p. 113.
1349. Hitler reserved London: ibid., p. 118.
1350. “And if . . . cities out!”: quoted in ibid., p. 119.
1351. “will-to-resist”: quoted in ibid., p. 118.
1352. “a systematic . . . Lion unnecessary”: quoted in ibid., p. 120.
1353. HE tonnage: Harrisson (1976), p. 128.
1354. deaths: ibid., p. 265.
1355. Simon report: reproduced, probably in rewritten form, under a different title as part of the MAUD Report and given in this form in Gowing (1964), p. 416ff. I quote from the MAUD version, p. 416.
1356. Simon delivered report: Arms (1966), p. 111.
1357. Auer ordered sixty tons: Irving (1967), p. 65.
1358. Joliot: the cyclotron episode appears at Weart (1979), p. 156ff.
1359. Bothe graphite measurements: Bothe (1944).
1360. “When . . . was on”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 116.
1361. “These galling . . . scientific fraud”: Bothe (1951), p. Iff. Trans. Louis Brown.
1362. “uranium . . . not work”: Frisch (1979), p. 138.
1363. “only for . . . consideration”: Irving (1967), p. 80. Irving’s report of Harteck’s meaning is here and on p. 277; the heavy-water recommendation is also here.
1364. Suzuki report/Nishina: PWRS (1972), p. 19ff; Shapley (1978), p. 153.
1365. Turner letter to Phys. Rev.: Turner (1946).
1366. “It seems . . . to say”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 126ff.
1367. Turner review article: Turner (1940).
1368. “a little . . . of isotopes”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 126.
1369. “it is . . . be used”: Turner (1946).
1370. “In 94 EkaOs240 . . . be expected”: Turner (1946).
1371. Bohr had speculated: cf. Nobel Committee presentation speech preceding McMillan (1951), p. 310ff.
1372. “When a . . . a book”: McMillan (1951), p. 314.
Making of the Atomic Bomb Page 110
