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ZENAS L. POTTER

P. O. BOX 19 

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, CALIFORNIA December 2nd, 1947

Prof. Albert Einstein Room 28, 90 Nassau Street

Princeton, New Jersey 

Dear Dr. Einstein,

  I am enclosing herewith $10 as a contribution toward the fund of the Atomic Scientists.  I wish it might be larger, but I am spending a great deal of time and considerable money on the war-peace problem, as you will see from the attached copy of a talk on TOTAL PEACE- IN OUR TIME. 

  The first need of the American people is knowledge as to the implications of the modern instruments of destruction.  They need to be scared close to death by the facts, to jar them out of their inertia.  Then we need a program of a concrete nature, to be put into effect. 

  I am personally 100 per cent for a world government;  but I see no possibility that one can be formed in time to avert the coming tragedy.  Even if one were set up without Russia and her satelites,  it would crumble to nothing if the United States were knocked out by a carefully prepared sneak attack.  It would be slightly more effective in deterring the Russians than no world government;  but not much so if, as would be likely, we dominated the policies of the World Government. 

  The plan I advocate is radical in the extreme;  as radical as was the program of Jesus Christ.   But it is practical in the extreme,  since it is probably the only program capable of saving the United States from atomic destruction,  and the only program holding forth the faintest possibility of giving us a peaceful world in our time.   In my belief, the program of our military-minded men is the most impracticable of all,  for it took us into two world wars in our time and is taking us headlong toward a third, that will be destructive beyond imagination. 

 I would very much like to know what you think when you have read my talk.  I have been giving it only in churches, since the church is the only organization capable of making the policy advocated our national policy.  But yesterday I gave it before a group of business men, and was completely surprised by the result.  They were more responsive than the church people  (perhaps because they were more informed).  My guess is that I have been getting 2/3 acceptance from my audiences, which is remarkable,  considering the policy advocated,  and I believe an even larger proportion will accept the program,  when they read the news,  after having heard the talk.  Out of each talk I get a few people who are really steamed up, and others are beginning to join in in advocating the program. 

     Sincerely, 
        Zenas L. Potter