As a scientist, I have been interested in Japan primarily in the universities. My wife and I have, however, fortunately been able to see much of the beautiful countryside and many of the national treasures, and we have been greatly impressed by the natural and cultural richness of the country.

I feel that I may venture to comment on the Japanese scientists and universities, even though my stay in Japan has lasted less than one month, because for many years I have followed the work of Japanese scientists through their publications. There is no doubt that the scientific work done in this country is of the highest quality, and that some of the scientists are outstanding in ability. I may mention as an example my old friend the late Professor Y. Nishina. Among the present-day scientists Professor Yukawa has received well-deserved recognition through the award to him of the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The professors of science in even the leading Japanese universities work under the severe handicap of great teaching and administrative loads. Their duties are considerably greater than those of professors in the best universities in the United States and Europe, and they have accordingly less time and energy to carry on original research and to supervise advanced students. I believe that the country would benefit by an increase in the budget of the scientific departments of the universities, which would permit the appointment of more members of the teaching staffs.

The recognition of the significance of science to the modern world seem to have been accelerated here by the atom-bomb and radiation disasters. The continued occurrence of deaths from old radiation injuries and the deleterious results of hydrogen-bomb fall-out radioactivity make evident the necessity of control of the processes of atomic fission and atomic fusion. In addition to the obvious and rapid effects of radiation of high intensity, there is the possibility that the human race may suffer seriously in the course of a few generations from the continued genetic effect of the artificial radioactive substances that are now being spread over the world by hydrogen bomb test explosions. No scientist in the world knows enough to be able to say when the danger point has been reached.

The great immediate danger is, of course, that a hydrogen bomb war will break out, which might lead to the destruction of civilization, might possibly kill all life on earth. The alternative is to abandon war as the means of settling disputes between nations. The world must realize that problems are to be settled by arbitration, by the search for the just solution, even though it requires years of discussion to find it.

War has not in the past led to victory for the good and the just, but rather for the powerful - and power and justice do not necessarily go hand in hand. I believe that human beings are reasonable and good, rather than inhumane, and that the epoch in the history of the world has now come when the horror of war will be ended.

The demilitarization clause in the Constitution is a step in this direction and it is fine that the people of Japan in the recent elections have expressed their determination to retain this clause. It is the hope of scientists all over the world, who understand the gravity of the threat of atomic warfare, that steady progress will be made toward the goal of permanent world peace.

Linus Pauling, 10 March 1955

For Asahi Press, Tokyo