March 8, 1962 - Linus Pauling Day-by-Day

Article: “Sad Americans Accept Tests,” Manchester Guardian Weekly. [Filed under LP Peace: Pauling Peace Research Notes: Box #6.012, Folder #12.3]

Itinerary [handwritten]: North Carolina, American Friends Service Committee [Filed under LP Travel, Box #1.003, Folder 3.2]

Letter from Brian and Veronica Maltby to LP and AHP RE: Says that even though the Australian government isn’t that influential in international politics, the government policies do not reflect the public attitude towards nuclear testing. Tells LP that they have formed a Committee of 100 to protest nuclear testing. Suggests that organizations like theirs from all over the country coalesce into one body to better promote peace. Asks for suggestions from LP. [Letter from LP to Maltby July 31, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, M: Correspondence, 1962-1964 Box 259, Folder 259.1]

Letter from Joan Harris to George Persky RE: Tells Persky that LP is out of town until early April and that LP will see his letter upon his return. [Letter from Persky to LP March 3, 1962] [Letter from LP to Persky October 2, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, P: Correspondence, 1960-1963 314, Folder 314.3]

Letter from Linda Hopkins to Clara Sturges Johnson RE: Tells her that LP is out of town, but that her letter will be called to his attention when he returns in April. [Letter from Johnson to LP February 28, 1962] [Letter from LP to Johnson October 10, 1962] [Filed under J: Correspondence 1933-1934, 1936-1964 Box 192, Folder 192.28]

Letter from Linda Hopkins to Clara Urquhart RE: Tells Urquhart that LP is away from Pasadena until early April. Says she will call Urquhart’s letter to LP’s attention when he returns. [Letter from Urquhart to Hopkins March 12, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, U: Correspondence 1936-1970 Box 421, Folder 421.20]

Letter from Linda Hopkins to Marcus Heyman, RE: Hopkins is responding to Heyman’s letter to tell him that LP is away from the city and will be returning in early April. Hopkins will bring LP’s attention to Heyman’s letter at that time. [Letter from Heyman March 3, 1962] [Filed under LP Peace: (The Bomb Test Suits, 1962-1964), Box #6.002, Folder #2.1]

Letter from Linda Hopkins to Weldon Polzin RE: Hopkins is sending Polzin some reprints of articles by LP on the issue of fallout shelters. [Letter from Polzin to LP February 25, 1962] [Filed under LP Peace: Materials re: Fallout and Radiation Shelters, and Civil Defense, 1962-1965: Box #7.008, Folder #8.10]

Letter from Thomas L. Perry, M.D. to Antonio Cesar Copello RE: Explains that LP is out of town for the next month, so he is writing to prevent a long delay in response to Copello’s letter. Tells Copello that there is no new treatment for phenylketonuria, and talks about the current treatment Copello’s daughter is receiving. [Letter from Copello to LP March 1, 1962] [Letter from Perry to Copello April 5, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, C: Correspondence 1961-1962 Box 76, Folder 76.2]

Letter from Thomas Perry to Edith Davis RE: Perry, Pauling, and other scientists all believe that there will be a heavy fallout of Strontium-90 during the next few months as a result of the Russian bomb tests last fall. Perry thinks that it is likely that there will be increased levels of Strontium-90 in milk. Perry suggests that Davis request data and figures from the Minnesota Health Department. [Letter from Davis to LP March 5, 1962] [Filed under LP Peace: Materials re: Strontium-90, 1961-1963: Box #7.014, Folder #14.17]

Letter from Wolfgang Bartels to LP, RE: [In German] Bartels is sending LP an appeal which he hopes will appear in an upcoming edition of “Conscience” along with the names of those who have already signed. [Letter from LP April 2, 1962] [Filed under LP Peace: (Assorted Peace Appeals, 1940-1970), Box #6.007, Folder #7.15]

Manuscript and Typescripts: “Linus Pauling” a broadcast by LP. On Radio Liberty, with Dr. Jean Sosin. [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: (Manuscripts and Typescripts of Articles by LP, 1962), Box #1962a, Folder #1962a.7]

(Sent by Dr. Gene Sosin, Radio Liberty)

3/8/62 Linus Pauling (Telephone Recording)

I am Professor Linus Pauling.

Six months ago, I broadcast to the Soviet people over Radio Liberty. I said that I am a scientist, and that I am happy to have been elected a foreign member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. This is a great honor for me.

I also urged that the Soviet government reconsider its decision to resume the testing of nuclear weapons. I said that the militaristic act of resuming the testing of these terrible weapons of mass destruction and death would be a dreadful blow to peace and morality and to the hope of people all over the world for achieving the goal of general and complete disarmament. I said that I strongly condemn the militaristic actions of any government that increased the danger of war and make it harder to achieve general and complete disarmament and peace throughout the world.

Despite my protests and the protests of many other people from many nations, the Soviet government carried out its great series of atmospheric tests, described by our Atomic Energy Commission as totalling 120 megatons, of which 25 megatons is fission and 95 fusion.

I have calculated that these tests were made at the sacrifice of 20 million unborn children of future generations, children born with gross physical or mental defects caused by the radioactive fission products and carbon-14, and including the neo-natal, embryonic and childhood deaths caused by these radioactive substances.

Now, a few days ago, our President Kennedy has announced that the United States is planning to carry out atmospheric tests in about two months.

On learning about this plan, I immediately sent the President a telegram urging that the tests not be made, that the United States not take this act of increased militarism, which will increase the danger of nuclear war and make it more difficult to achieve disarmament. I pointed out that these tests, carried out primarily for political purposes, not for defense, would be made at the sacrifice of millions of unborn children and I urged him not to be guilty of the great immorality of ordering these tests to be carried out.

Now, President Kennedy, in his announcement, said that the recent Soviet tests of last fall have not given the Soviet Union superiority over the United States in nuclear power. Instead, if these tests are carried out, it will be for the purpose of permitting the United States to increase the lead that it still holds over the Soviet Union.

The history of the last 17 years is that the United States has taken the lead in militarism at each stage. We made and exploded the first atomic bombs. The Soviet Union then followed. We made the first hydrogen bomb, the Soviet Union followed. We built up the first 1000-megaton stockpile, we carried out the first 100-megaton series of nuclear tests. Each time, the Soviet Union has followed our example.

I hope now that the United States will not carry out the announced series of nuclear tests...month after next. I think that we may have hope that the international agreement to stop the testing of all nuclear weapons will be made and signed during the next few weeks. I hope that the proposal that President Kennedy said will be made will represent an acceptable compromise to the Soviet Union, a compromise between the schemes, the plans for inspection and control - international inspection and control - that were proposed last year by the Soviet Union and those plans that were proposed by the United States and Great Britain. And I hope that the Soviet government will make a great effort to achieve the solution of this problem of formulating an acceptable bomb-test agreement and that no further tests of nuclear weapons will be made.

Let us all work together - the Soviet people and the American people, the Soviet government and the American government, the people of all nations in the world and all of the governments in the world - to achieve the goal of general and complete disarmament with international controls and inspection and to eliminate the immorality of war from the world.

Note from Marianne E. Smith to LP RE: Note is attached to a leaflet and asks LP to replace this one with the one mailed yesterday which was entitled “The Message” and dated 1/26/62 and contained an error in the last paragraph. [Note from Smith to LP March 7, 1962] [Filed under LP Correspondence, S: Correspondence, 1962-1963 Box 382 Folder 382.1]

Program for LP and AHP in Nashville, Tennessee. [Filed under LP Biographical: LP Scrapbooks, 1961-1965: Box #6.008 Folder #8.216]

Schedule: 7:50 AM, LP and AHP fly from Atlanta to Nashville; 11 AM, AHP speaks on “Peace and Human Rights” at the Fisk University Chapel; 12 Noon, luncheon ; 4 PM, LP gives a joint Chemistry-Physics Colloquium address, Vanderbilt University [Filed under LP Travel, Box #1.003, Folder 3.2]

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