Atomic Scientists and Albert Einstein

The Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists, a nine-man group headed by Albert Einstein of the Institute for Advanced Study, met in Princeton last week to announce the opening of a campaign for $1,000,000 to inform the public of six statements of fact on atomic energy.

“Our efforts have their origin in a feeling of the heavy responsibility which physicists have taken upon themselves by the creation of the atom bomb,” Dr. Einstein explained in announcing the committee’s future plans at a press conference held November 17 at the Institute for Advanced Study.

The remaining members of the committee are Harold C. Urey, Thorfin R. Hogness and Leo Szilard of the University of Chicago, Selig Hect of Columbia University, Philip M. Morse and Victor F. Weisskopf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Linus Pauling of the California Institute of Technology.

The six statements of fact which the committee seeks to impress upon the public are as follows:

“1. Atomic bombs can now be made cheaply and in large numbers. They will become more destructive.

“2. There is no military defense against atomic bombs and none is to be expected.

“3. Other nations can rediscover our secret processes by themselves.

“4. Preparedness against atomic war is futile, and if attempted, will ruin the structured of our social order.

“5. If war breaks out, atomic bombs will be used, and they will surely destroy our civilization.

“6. There is no solution to this problem except international control of atomic energy and, ultimately, the elimination of was.”

This was originally published in the November 29, 1946 issue of PAW.