Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (137 page)

BOOK: Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer
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349
. ‘Condon was not a happy choice’: ibid.

349
. ‘the very heart of security’: ibid., 140

350
. ‘The thing that upsets me most’: EUC to JRO, April 1943, printed in full in Groves (1962), 429–32 (quotation 429)

350
. ‘The considerations’: Groves (1962), 156

351
. ‘The object’: Serber (1992), 3

351
. ‘After a couple of minutes’: ibid., 4

351
. ‘more exact diffusion theory’: ibid., 27

351
. ‘To improve’: ibid., 32–3

352
. ‘Several kinds of damage’: ibid., 33

352
. ‘overlooked’: ibid., 34

352
. who suggested it at the Berkeley conference: ibid., xxxii, 59; see also Serber (1998), 72

352
. ‘Serber is looking into it’: Serber (1992), 59

353
. a major ten-day conference: Hawkins (1946), 9, Hoddeson et al. (1993), 75–8

353
. produced a report on 4 December: Hoddeson, 36

353
. a second Lewis committee: ibid., 69

353
. a planning board: ibid., 68–9

354
. ‘be more far-sighted’: ibid., 69

354
. ‘the original concept’: ibid.

354
. ‘so that’: Christman (1998), 107

354
. ‘I was plunged’: ibid., 108

354
. ‘understanding of the interplay’: Groves (1962), 160

355
. ‘produce the nuclear guts’: Christman (1998), 110

355
. ‘pulled together’: ibid., 130

355
. ‘every month’s delay’: Cave Brown (1977), 342

355
. ‘All science stopped’: Feynman (1992), 108

356
. ‘Every day’: ibid., 112

356
. ‘No, no’: ibid.

357
. ‘It had been planned’: Bacher, interviewed by Finn Aaserud at the California Institute of Technology, 13 February 1986, AIP

358
. resulted in the identification of Weinberg: Herken (2002), 100–11, B & S, 192

358
. his request was refused: see ITMO, 13, 119

358
. he was drafted into the army: Lomanitz, interviewed by Shawn Mullet, 29 July 2001, AIP

358
. was quickly fired: Herken (2002), 109–10

359
. a visit to his ex-lover, Jean: see B & S, 231–5

359
. ‘She had indicated’: ITMO, 154

359
. ‘Because she was’: ibid.

359
. What transpired: what follows is based on the account given in B & S, 232

360
. ‘Q. You have no reason’: ITMO, 154

360
. ‘may be connected’: B & S, 233

361
. a memo to Lansdale: see ITMO, 821–3

361
. ‘Consequently’: ITMO, 822

361
. ‘My working definition’: ITMO, 266

361
. ‘Mrs Oppenheimer’: ibid.

362
. ‘I formed the conviction’: ibid.

362
. ‘believed to be’: B & S, 234

362
. ‘because of his known interest’: ibid., 234–5

363
. ‘In accordance’: Groves (1962), 63

363
. Bacher told him: Bacher, interview with AKS, 16.3.1978, quoted S & W, 261

363
. ‘I am sure’: President Roosevelt to JRO, 29.6.1943, quoted S & W, 260

363
. ‘You would be glad to know’: JRO to Roosevelt, 9.7.1943, S & W, 260

364
. received from General Groves: S & W, 262–3

364
. on 27 July: Goodchild (1980), 91

364
. Three days later: ibid., and Herken (2002), 110

364
. ‘It was really’: Lomanitz, interviewed by Shawn Mullet in Hawaii, 29 July 2001, AIP

364
. ‘Oh, there has to be a mistake’: ibid.

364
. ‘Ernest Lawrence yelled’: ITMO, 268

364
. ‘very serious mistake’: JRO to Col Marshall, 31.7.1943, ITMO, 123

364
. ‘Have requested’: ibid., 133

364
. Lomanitz gave an interview: Lomanitz, interviewed by Shawn Mullet in Hawaii, 29 July 2001, AIP

365
. a full report: see ITMO, 275–6

365
. ‘he had been guilty’: ibid., 276

365
. ‘he must forego’: ibid.

365
. ‘That makes me mad’: ibid.

366
. ‘[He] stated that’: ibid.

366
. ‘Oppenheimer gave’: ibid.

366
. ‘On the whole’: ibid.

366
. FBI agents watched: Herken (2002), 110, Sibley (2004), 145

366
. ‘California trouble’: see Herken (2002), 106

367
. Oppenheimer went to see Groves: B & S, 238

367
. on 25 August 1943: ITMO, 136–7, B & S, 238

367
. ‘With the approval’: ITMO, 128

367
. ‘framed’: ibid., 876

368
. ‘I persuaded him’: ibid., 880

368
. ‘I remember’: Lomanitz, interviewed by Shawn Mullet in Hawaii, 29 July 2001, AIP

368
. ‘These two fellows’: ITMO., 883

368
. ‘if they were violating’: ibid.

368
. dinner in Berkeley with Robert Bacher: Herken (2002), 107

369
. ‘cock and bull story’: ITMO, 137

369
. ‘placed a certain responsibility’: ibid., 285

369
. ‘Mr Johnson’: ibid.

370
. ‘I was rather uncertain’: ibid.

370
. ‘That is not the particular interest I have’: ibid., 286

370
. ‘I think that is true’: ibid.

370
. ‘Could you give me’: ibid., 287

370
. ‘were always’: ibid.

371
. ‘He has probably’: ibid., 288

371
. ‘I mean’: ibid., 289

371
. ‘I have known’: ibid., 290

371
. ‘I was an idiot’: ibid., 137

372
. ‘I think it would be a mistake’: ibid., 292

372
. ‘It’s a member of the faculty’: ibid.

372
. ‘They were contacted’: ibid., 295

372
. ‘And then’: ibid.

372
. ‘and we may not’: ibid.

372
. ‘have a feeling’: ibid.

372
. ‘We certainly would’: ibid., 850

372
. ‘we are going to have to spend’: ibid.

373
. ‘We will be hot under the collar’: ibid., 860

373
. ‘I think that I would be’: ibid., 851

373
. ‘I feel responsible’: ibid.

373
. like a bloodhound: ibid., 866

373
. On 27 August: B & S, 233

373
. ‘determining the identities’: ibid.

373
. ‘the part played by J.R. Oppenheimer’: ibid., 273–4

373
. ‘The writer’: ibid., 274

374
. ‘has allowed’: ibid.

374
. ‘Until alerted’: ibid., 275

374
. ‘that Oppenheimer’: ibid.

374
. ‘This Office’: ibid., 273

374
. On 3 September: see Herken (2002), 108–9

375
. ‘without intent of flattery’: ITMO, 871

375
. ‘I want you to know’: ibid., 885

375
. ‘I thought I might’: ibid., 871

376
. ‘They know’: ibid., 872

376
. ‘We don’t want to’: ibid., 873

376
. ‘I’ve thought about it’: ibid., 875

376
. ‘Who do you know’: ibid.

376
. ‘I think it possible’: ibid., 876

376
. ‘How about Haakon Chevalier?’: ibid., 877

377
. ‘. . . we’ve got the case’: ibid., 879

377
. ‘Don’t think’: ibid., 885

377
. ‘I know that he was in Germany’: ibid., 883

377
. ‘It is essential’: ibid., 815

378
. ‘very unsatisfactory’: ibid., 277

378
. ‘Oppenheimer’s attitude’: ibid.

378
. ‘who now appears’: ibid.

379
. ‘Look’: Lomanitz, interviewed by Shawn Mullet in Hawaii, 29 July 2001, AIP

379
. ‘firm conviction’: Herken (2002), 110

379
. ‘he didn’t believe’: ibid.

379
. Oppenheimer refused to take the call: ibid., 358, note 57

379
. ‘will continue to be loyal’: see B & S, 247

379
. ‘tedious project’: ITMO, 815

379
. ‘suddenly’: Stern (1971), 55–6

380
. ‘God’s help to us’: see
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=72459&st=Thanksgiving&st1=#axzz1X2POs3fI

381
. ‘Possible identity’: ITMO, 819

382
. 12 December: Stern (1971), 65

382
. ‘advised him’: B & S, 247

382
. sent telegrams: see Stern (1971), 66–7

382
. ‘other than [the] three original attempts’: ibid., 67

382
. ‘the information was’: ITMO, 263

382
. ‘Yes, but’: ibid., 167

382
. ‘When I did identify Chevalier’: ITMO, 889

383
. The answer seems to be: based on B & S, 514–9, Herken (2002), 270–1

383
. ‘I remember distinctly’: ITMO, 264

384
. ‘nothing could be clearer’: ibid., 264–5

384
. ‘finally stated’: B & S, 248

385
. ‘Are you still in this world?’: HC to JRO,
c
. November 1943, Chevalier folder, Box 26, JRO papers, LOC

385
. ‘I can’t tell you’: HC to JRO, 3.12.1943, Chevalier folder, Box 26, JRO papers, LOC

386
. ‘His face was somber’: Chevalier (1965), 58

386
. ‘The last thing’: ibid.

386
. ‘When I got to his office’: Serber (1998), 86

386
. Jean’s body: what follows is based on the account give in B & S, Chapter Eighteen.

386
. ‘disgusted with everything’: B & S, 250

387
. claims in an unpublished manuscript: B & S, 252 and 637

387
. ‘went on’: B & S, 637

387
. ‘De Silva is not’: ibid.

387
. ‘conversation with J.R. Oppenheimer’: ITMO, 150

387
. ‘During the course of the conversation’: ibid.

388
. ‘I think’: ibid., 121

388
. His unconvincing answer: ibid., 122

388
. ‘Just look at him’: Stern (1971), 123

388
. Oppenheimer was understandably sceptical: ITMO, 119

388
. ‘engaged in earnest conversation’: ibid., 150

389
. ‘. . . just as he was preparing to leave’: ibid., 149

13. Los Alamos 2: Implosion

390
. the Quebec Agreement: Stoff et al. (1991), 46–7, and online at:
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/wwii/q002.asp

390
. the only physicist: Bethe, interview with Richard Rhodes, 5.3.1993, quoted Rhodes (1996), 259

391
. invited by Rudolf Peierls: Peierls (1985), 163

391
. a regular informant: see Herken (2002), 89, Rhodes (1995), 57

391
. the German authorities had informed the British: see Paul Reynolds, ‘How atom spy slipped security net’, BBC News online at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3046255.stm

391
. ‘bears a good personal reputation’: Daphne Bosanquet, quoted ibid.

391
. ‘As he [Fuchs] has been’: ibid.

391
. ‘He is rather safer in America’: Major Garrett of MI5, quoted ibid.

391
. on 5 February 1944: see West (2004), 59

392
. ‘We were desperately afraid’: Peierls (1985), 168

392
. ‘and we have no record’: ibid.

392
. ‘were in their normal places’: ibid., 169

392
. ‘did seem to be’: ibid.

392
. On 21 August 1943: Rhodes (1988), 511

392
. ‘It is not necessary’: ibid., 512

393
. a letter written by Heisenberg: see Jungk (1960), 100–1

393
. ‘whether it was right’: ibid., 101

393
. ‘Do you really think’: ibid.

393
. ‘Bohr was shocked’: ibid.

393
. ‘Personally’: NB to Heisenberg, undated, but
c
. 1957. For the full text of this and other documents relating to the Bohr–Heisenberg meeting, see
http://nba.nbi.dk/papers/docs/d01tra.htm

394
. ‘less to tell’: Oppenheimer, lecture on Bohr, 1964, typescript in JRO papers, LOC

395
. ‘and an opportunity’: see Brown (1997), 242, where the letter is given in full

395
. ‘to help resist’: quoted Rozental (1967), 194

395
. ‘I have to the best of my judgment’: ibid.

395
. ‘I shall make an effort’: quoted Brown (1997), 243

395
. ‘In view’: see Rose (1998), 157

395
. Jeremy Bernstein has suggested: see Bernstein (2003)

396
. the Nazi atomic project: for more on this, see Bernstein (2001), Powers (1994) and Rose (1998)

396
. a series of Allied attacks: see Baggott (2009), 117–19, 132–6, 215–17, Powers (1994), 195–213, and Rhodes (1988), 455–7

397
. Heisenberg gave a lecture: Bernstein (2003), 256

397
. Thomas Powers believes: Powers (1994), 246

397
. on 5 October 1943: Baggott (2009), 213

397
. They arrived in New York on 6 December: Powers (1994), 240

398
. ‘It was clearly’: Bethe, interview with Jeremy Bernstein, quoted Bernstein (1981), 77

398
. ‘would be a quite useless military weapon’: JRO to LRG, 1.1.1944, from the files of Robert Serber, quoted Bernstein (2003), 249

398
. ‘since it has been’: S & W, 270

398
. ‘Bohr at Los Alamos was marvellous’: JRO, ‘Niels Bohr Lecture 3’, 11 (1963), JRO papers, LOC

399
. ‘was to bring about’: Hawkins (1946), 28–9

399
. ‘They didn’t need my help’: Rhodes (1988), 525

399
. ‘a conservative, dour and remarkably sweet man’: JRO, ‘Niels Bohr Lecture 3’, 8 (1963), JRO papers, LOC

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