Presidential Papers, Doc#843 Top secret. <EM>Personal To James Bryant Conant, 26 April 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Doc #844

Document #843; April 26, 1954
To James Bryant Conant
Series: EM, AWF, Administration Series ; Category: Top secret. Personal
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part V: Maintaining "a united defense"; April 1954 to August 1954
Chapter 10: Losing the war "they could not win"

 

Dear Jim:1 Concerning the item that you and I discussed in our conversation this afternoon, I find that no criticism was directed toward the Doctor because of his adverse opinion regarding production. That opinion was recited merely to give background to certain other allegations to the effect that, even after decision to produce had been made by the highest possible authority, the Doctor departed from his proper role as principal adviser and attempted to slow down development. That is, it is alleged that he attempted to induce personnel to abstain from working on the project, and used such other influence as he thought would adversely affect the proposition.2

I am informed that it is these allegations rather than the original recommendation which constitutes this part of the complaint.3 As ever

1 James Bryant Conant, U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, had been one of the charter members of the Atomic Energy Commission (see Richard G. Hewlett and Francis Duncan, A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, vol. II, Atomic Shield [University Park, Pa., 1969], p. 518). For further background on Conant see Galambos, NATO and the Campaign of 1952, no. 242.

2 Eisenhower and Conant had discussed the charges against Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer at the White House on this same afternoon (see Chronology, Apr. 26, 1954; for background on the Oppenheimer case see no. 836). Having tried unsuccessfully to telephone Conant following their conversation, Eisenhower had, instead, dictated this message (Apr. 26, 1954, AWF/D). It was Conant who had nominated Oppenheimer for chairman of the AEC's General Advisory Committee in 1947 (Hewlett and Duncan, Atomic Shield, p. 16), and on April 20 Conant had testified on Oppenheimer's behalf at the AEC Personnel Security Board hearing (United States Atomic Energy Commission, In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Transcript of Hearing Before Personnel Security Board, [Washington, D.C., 1954], pp. 384-94; and James Bryant Conant, My Several Lives: Memoirs of a Social Inventor [New York, 1970], pp. 500-504).

Among the charges against Oppenheimer was obstruction of hydrogen bomb development by allegedly sending reports to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory that were designed to discourage acceleration of this work; it was also charged that he dissuaded other scientists from working on the project (Hewlett and Holl, Atoms for Peace and War, p. 92). The AEC's Personnel Security Board would, however, find little evidence of obstructionist efforts by Oppenheimer after then-President Truman had authorized development of the hydrogen bomb (Hewlett and Holl, Atoms for Peace and War, p. 92). In fact, Gordon Dean, who had been Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission at the time, had testified that in 1950 Oppenheimer had offered to resign his position as chairman of the General Advisory Committee. According to Dean, Oppenheimer had expressed fears that his opposition to the hydrogen bomb project in 1949 might render him ineffective. Dean had disagreed and refused to accept Oppenheimer's resignation (AEC, In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer, p. 307).

3 Conant would never receive this message. In a typewritten note in the lower margin Ann Whitman wrote: "President decided not to send this letter. He suggested I keep it, nonetheless. Admiral Strauss informed." For further developments in the Oppenheimer case see no. 929.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Top secret. Personal To James Bryant Conant, 26 April 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 843. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/843.cfm

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