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5443 Berks St., Philadelphia, Pa.

October 19, 1947.

Dr. Albert Einstein, Chairman EMERGENCY COMMITTEE od ATOMIC SCIENTISTS Princeton, New Jersey.

Dear Dr. Einstein,

In answer to the appeal of the EMERGENCY COMMITTEE of ATOMIC SCIENTISTS, I am inclosing a check of &5.00, with regret that I cannot send a sum corresponding in amount to my interest in the success of your organization. However, I may be able to contribute to it otherwise. Let me explain.

Ever since the First World War I have been seeking to understand the causes of the disruptive tendencies that it revealed. Eventually as a result of my prolonged study I became acutely aware not only of the gathering farces of destruction, but also of the new gains in knowledge, which if duly assimilated, would make possible a great leap forward in social evolution now, and also of the grave responsibility resting on individuals who clearly realize present possibiliti for good and for ill. Moved by this sense of responsibility, four years ago I resolved to write my conclusions and have them published if I could. In the face of almost insuperable obstacles and interruptions caused variously by a serious accident, a nearly fatal illness, the loss of my home, three changes of residence, the death of a cherished relative, and numerous minor illnesses that from time to time made mental work out of the question, I persisted in the task I had undertaken. And now I have finished it and have incorporated that boiled-down and revised extract of my study in a manuscript of about 100.000 words.

When your letters came I eas on the point of mailing this manuscript, entitled "THE WAY OF FREEDOM" to a publisher but postponed sending it because at the last minute I discovered some mistakes unnoted hitherto and so sent the sections contains these mistakes to my out-of-town typist to type correctly. Coming at this time it seems to me opportune that your appeal, informing me incidentally than an organization which might well be the beginning of one such as I advocate was already in existence. For the ultimate conclusion of my study of the solution of present problems is that in order to speed up a popular reorientation from a national to an international viewpoint, to avert a catastrophic world war, and to realize the universal advantages rendered possible by the progress of modern science, an organization of all forward-looking people is imperative; and of such an organization which I term "An Association for General Enlightenment" - the name is not important - scientists are the appropriate leaders.