Eyes only memo

To: President of the United States of America

From: Manhattan Project Supervisor

Date: July, 1945

Re: Ending of World War II

Mr. President:

The war in Europe has come to a close. Hitler and Mussolini are no longer in power. Both Italy and Germany have surrendered and our troops are occupying their lands now. The war in the Pacific, however, is not so clear. The Japanese are sending us mixed messages (through their diplomatic speaking and through their codes, which we have cracked). It is now your decision on how you would like to continue with the war. Should we invade Japan? Should we try to negotiate a peace? Should we try to find a quicker way to end the war (through a massive bombing of key cities)? It is your decision.

Enclosed are documents relating to the development of the Manhattan Project. Please base any decision you have to make on this as well as visual evidence and personal advice from your advisors.

CONTENTS:

1. How the bombs will work

2. Impact of the bomb

3. “ Your” diary entry – July 25, 1945

4. Alternatives to dropping the bomb

5. Votes of scientists on methods of use

6. Japanese intentions

7. Would invasion be inevitable without the bomb?

8. The Soviet Factor

9. Arguments against the bomb

10. Thank God for the Atomic Bomb!

11. Survivor

As President of the United States, you must now decide how you will end the war with Japan. Before making this decision, you must make a Pros and Cons list, with at least two alternatives. Once you have completed this list, write a 1-2 paragraph summary stating your decision and defending it with at least TWO of the documents in this packet.

Good Luck Mr. / Ms. President, the fate of the free world is in your hands!

Mr. Curtin

Mr. Freund

Mrs. Larkin

Mrs. Soare

Manhattan Project Supervisors

1. How the Bombs Will Work:

How It Works:

· Little Boy design consists of a gun that fires one mass of uranium 235 at another mass of uranium 235, thus creating a supercritical mass.

· The pieces need to be brought together in a time shorter than the time between spontaneous fissions.

· Once the uranium is brought together, a chain reaction begins, continuing until the released energy is so great that the bomb simply blows itself apart.

“Little Boy”

Dropped on Hiroshima, Japan August 6, 1945

2. Impact of the Bomb:

· Dropped from the B-29 Enola Gay.

· Destroyed everything within four square miles.

· Instantly killed 70,000.

· Instantly injured 70,000.

· December 1945 death toll: 140,000.

· 1950 total death toll: 200,000.

“Fat Man”

Dropped on Nagasaki, Japan

August 9, 1945

· Nagasaki is one of Japan’s leading shipbuilding and repair centers.

· Dropped from the B-29 called Bockscar.

· Had a force of 21,000 tons of TNT.

· Destroyed everything within three square miles.

· Instantly killed: 40,000.

· Instantly injured: 60,000.

· January 1945 death toll: 70,000.

· 1950 death toll: 140,000.

3. Harry S. Truman, Diary, July 25, 1945:

President Truman wrote in his diary on July 25, 1945, that he had ordered the bomb used. Emphasis has been added to highlight Truman's apparent belief that he had ordered the bomb dropped on a "purely military" target, so that "military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target and not women and children."

We have discovered the most terrible bomb in the history of the world. It may be the fire destruction prophesied in the Euphrates Valley Era, after Noah and his fabulous Ark.

Anyway, we "think" we have found the way to cause a disintegration of the atom. An experiment in the New Mexico desert was startling - to put it mildly. Thirteen pounds of the explosive caused the complete disintegration of a steel tower 60 feet high, created a crater 6 feet deep and 1,200 feet in diameter, knocked over a steel tower 1/2 mile away and knocked men down 10,000 yards away. The explosion was visible for more than 200 miles and audible for 40 miles and more.

I have told the Sec. of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target and not women and children. Even if the Japs are savages, ruthless, merciless and fanatic, we as the leader of the world for the common welfare cannot drop that terrible bomb on the old capital or the new.

He and I are in accord. The target will be a purely military one and we will issue a warning statement asking the Japs to surrender and save lives. I'm sure they will not do that, but we will have given them the chance. It is certainly a good thing for the world that Hitler's crowd or Stalin's did not discover this atomic bomb. It seems to be the most terrible thing ever discovered, but it can be made the most useful...

4. Alternatives to Dropping the Atomic Bomb:

Dr. Farrington Daniels, a director at the University of Chicago polled 150 scientists working on the atomic bomb in order to get their opinion on how the bomb should be used. These were the choices they could vote upon:

1) Use the bombs in the manner that, from a military point of view, is most effective in bringing about prompt surrender at minimum human cost to U.S.

2) Give a military demonstration in Japan to be followed by renewed opportunity for surrender before full use of the weapon is employed

3) Give an experimental demonstration in this country, with representatives of Japan present followed by a new opportunity to surrender before full use of the weapon is employed

4) Withhold military use of the weapon, but make a public experimental demonstration of its effectiveness

5) Maintain as secret as possible all developments of our new weapons and refrain from using them in this war

5. Scientist’s Opinion…

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