Evening star., 1954-04-13

LII 1913, Wnen was auegeQ 70
have stated that II knew several
individuals then at Los Alamos
who had been members of the
Communist Party" I knew Of
only one; she was my wife, of
whose disassociation from the
party, and of whose integrity
and loyalty to the United States
I had no question. Later, in
1914 or 1945, my brother Frank,
who had been cleared for work
in Berkeley and at Oak Ridge,
came to Los Alamos from Oak
Ridge with official approval.
knew Of no attempt to obtain
secret information at Los Alamos.
Tells Of Chevalier Overture.
Prior to my going there, my
friend. Haakon Chevalier, with
his wife, visited us on Eagle Hill
probably in early 1943. During
the visit he came into the kitch-
en- and told me that George
Eltenton had spoken to him OF
the possibility of transmitting
technical information to Soviet
scientists. I made some strong
remark to the effect that this
sounded terribly wrong to me
The discussion ended there
Nothing in our long-standing
friendShipswould have led me to
believe that Chevalier was actu-
ally seeking information, and ]
was certain that he had no idea
of the work on which 1 was
engaged.
It has long been clear to me
that I should have reported the
incident at once. The events that
led me to report it - which ]
doubt ever would have become
known without my report-were
unconnected with it.
During the summer of 1943
Col. Landsdale, the intelligence
officer Of the Manhattan Dis
trict, came to Los Alamos and
told me that he was worried
about the security situation in
Berkeley because of the activities
of the Federation of Architects
Engineers, Chemists and Techni-
clans. This recalled to my mind
that Eltenton was a member and
probably a promoter Of the
F. A. E. c! r.
Shortly thereafter. I was in
Berkeley and told the security
officer that Attention would bear
watching. When asked why.
said that Eltenton had attempt
ed, through intermediates, to ap-
proach people on the Project,
though ! mentioned neither my
self nor Chevalier. Later, when
Gen. Groves urged me to give
the details, I told him of my con-
versation with Chevalier. 1 still
think of Chevalier as a friend.
Los AlamOs Story Complex.
The story of Los Alamos is
long and complex. Part of it is
public history. For me it was a
time so filled with work, with
the need for decision and action
and consultation, that there was
room for little else,
I lived with my family in the
community which was Los Ala
mos. It was a remarkable COM
munity, inspired by a high sense
of mission, of duty and of des-
tiny. coherent, dedicated and re-
markably selfless.
There was plenty in the life
Of Los Alamos to cause irritation
the security restrictions, many of
my own devising, the inadequa-
cieS and inevitable fumblings of
military post unlike any that
had ever existed before, Short
ages, inequities, al in the lab
oratory itself the whiting sem-
phasis on different aspects of the
technical work as the program
moved forward; but I have never
known a group more understand
ing and more devoted to a COM
mon purpose, more willing to lay
aside personal convenience and
prestige, more understanding of
the role that they were playing
In their country's history.
Time and again we had in the
technical work almost paralyzing
crises. Time and again the lab
oratory drew itself together and
faced the new problems and got
on with the work. We worked by
night and by day; and in the end
the many jobs were done.
These years of hard and loyal
work of the scientists eliminated
in the test on July 16, 1945. It
was a success.
believe that in the eyes of
the War Department. and other
knowledgeable people, it was as
early a success as they had
thought possible. given all the
circumstances, and rather a
greater one. There were many
indications from the Secretary
Of War and Gen. Groves, and
many others. that official opin-
ion was one Of satisfaction with
what had been accomplished.
Sense Of Triumph Shared.
At the time. it was hard for
us at Los Alamos not to share
that satisfaction, and hard for
me not to accept the conclusion
that I had managed the enter
prise well and played a key part
in its success. But it needs to
be stated that many others con-
tributed the decisive ideas and
carried out the work which led
to this success, and that my role
was that Of understanding, en-
couraging. suggesting and de-
Gliding. It was the very opposite
of q one-man show.
Even before the July Is test
and the use Of the bombs in
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