42. Szilard to Khrushchev, June 27, 1960. MIT Vol. III, pp. 264–67.
43. Land to Szilard, June 14, 1960 (LSP).
44. MIT Vol. III, p. 204.
45. The 1960 Bulletin articles that formed the basis of Szilard’s narrative were “How to Live with the Bomb—and Survive . . .” (February), “To Stop or Not to Stop” (March), and “The Berlin Crisis” (May).
46. La Jolla Journal, April 2, 1964, p. 3.
47. John C. Lilly interview, February 8, 1987.
48. The Voice of the Dolphins, p. 21.
49. Ibid., pp. 22–24.
50. Szilard also wrote an outline for a play, a television show, or a movie based on “Dolphins.” See August 7, 1960, manuscript “Adaptation of The Voice of the Dolphins’—leaving out the Dolphins” (LSP) and “Die stimme der delphine” (LSP 34/6).
On August 9, 1960, Szilard signed a contract with Simon and Schuster for The Voice of the Dolphins. It was published in April 1961; printed in British, French, Italian, Argentinian, German, Dutch, Japanese, and Russian editions; and reprinted by Stanford University Press in 1992 (LSP 32/12–15, 33/1–9, and 34/1–8).
CHAPTER 27
1. New York Herald Tribune, May 10, 1960. Washington Post, May 13, 1960. The New York Times, June 12, 1960.
2. Szilard to Khrushchev, June 27, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 264.
3. Szilard to Khrushchev, August 16, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 268.
4. Khrushchev to Szilard, August 30, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 269.
5. Details of this meeting come from notes Szilard wrote on October 5 and dictated four days later and from Szilard’s account to Maurice Fox (interviewed November 12, 1985) and Bela Silard. The order of topics follows the agenda that Szilard had prepared for the meeting, although not knowing how much time he had for their conversation, Szilard actually skipped around in order to raise the most important subjects first. See “Conversation with K on October 5, 1960,” MIT Vol. III, pp. 279–87 (LSP 23/14).
6. According to historian and policy analyst William L. Ury, the idea of the Moscow-Washington “hot line” was developed by Harvard economist Thomas Schelling, who thought of it after reading Peter Bryant’s Red Alert (New York: Ace, 1958), the novel on which the film Dr. Strangelove was based. Schelling mentioned the idea to Henry Owen, a State Department planner in the Eisenhower administration. Owen advanced the idea to Gerard C. Smith, then director of the policy planning staff, who argued for a telephone link but made little headway because of his colleagues’ mistrust of the Russians.
Independently, in the fall of 1959, Parade magazine editor Jess Gorkin and a friend hit on the idea of a phone link, and in 1960, in an open letter in the magazine, Gorkin proposed an emergency communication link to Eisenhower and Khrushchev. His proposal was reprinted in the Soviet newspapers Pravda and Izvestia. Gorkin solicited statements of support for the hot-line idea from presidential candidates Nixon and Kennedy during the 1960 campaign, and at a reception in New York that fall asked Khrushchev about the proposal. Khrushchev called it “an excellent idea,” Gorkin recalled.
Owen pressed for the hot line in the Kennedy administration, and the proposal was made to the Soviets at an Eighteen-Nation Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in April 1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis that fall gave new impetus to the idea, and on August 31, 1963, the hot line went into operation. See Ury, pp. 144–45.
7. Szilard to Khrushchev, “Memorandum (September 30, 1960)” in MIT Vol. III, pp. 273–78; and “Conversations with K . . .” (LSP 23/14).
8. Typescript of the speech “Can We Get Off the Road to War?,” delivered May 3, 1962 (LSP 23/4).
9. Szilard to Khrushchev, October 8, 1960 (LSP 11/7).
10. Pravda, October 6, 1960, p. 1. Translation in MIT Vol. III ms, p. 1828.
11. William Kincade interviews, May 28, 1985, and March 22, 1988.
12. Szilard to Bohlen, October 6, 1960 (LSP). Herter to Szilard, November 10, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 290.
13. Notes, MIT Vol. III ms, p. 1840.
14. “Je donne” is French for “I deal” and is used in card games.
15. Gerard Piel interview, June 9, 1988.
16. MIT Vol. III, pp. 291–92.
17. Alexander Rìch interview, October 29, 1987.
18. Szilard’s “Diary” of the Moscow trip, p. 8 (LSP 30/14). Herbert Anderson interview, October 6, 1986. Alexander Rich interview, October 29, 1987.
19. Ruth Adams interview, October 21, 1986.
20. William Higinbotham interview, March 11, 1988. David Frisch interview, January 12, 1987.
21. Jerome Wiesner interview, November 10, 1987. William Higinbotham interview, March 11, 1988. Alexander Rich interview, October 29, 1987.
22. In the “Proceedings of the Sixth Pugwash Conference, Moscow USSR November 27 to December 5, 1960,” Szilard’s remarks are recorded in only four of the thirteen sessions for which transcripts were made.
23. The dolphin ashtray came to Semenov’s son-in-law, Vitalii I. Goldan-skii, who had first met Coryell at MIT in 1957. Goldanskii interviews, September 2 and 3, 1986.
24. Szilard to Khrushchev, December 2, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 293.
25. “Proceedings,” Minutes of the Sixth Session, November 30, 1960, pp. 329–33.
26. “Proceedings,” Minutes of the Eighth Session, December 2, 1960, pp. 472–75 and 521–22.
27. The Voice of the Dolphins, p. 46.
28. “On Flexibility, Communication, and an Arms Control Proposal,” “Proceedings,” pp. 608–29.
29. William Higinbotham interview, March 11, 1988.
30. While waiting in Moscow, Szilard wrote “The Postwar Events and the Russian Disarmament Proposals of 1960,” a nine-page manuscript with a “Diary” for 1945 to 1960, and he drafted another account that carried world events to 1984, labeled “Appendix 1” (LSP 30/14).
31. Szilard to Khrushchev, December 20, 1960. MIT Vol. III, p. 294.
32. Szilard’s 1960 “Diary,” pp. 8 and 12 (LSP 30/14). Rose Scheiber and Alice Danos interviews, July 16, 1987. Josef Litván’s son also reports that his father and Szilard met in Vienna at this time. George Litván to the author, August 18, 1987.
33. Inge Feltrinelli to the author, 1987.
CHAPTER 28
1. See Lyle to Gertrud Weiss Szilard, April 30, 1960 (Aaron Novick Papers).
2. Eva Zeisel interview, August 19, 1985.
3. Mike Wallace interview, February 27, 1961, WNTA-TV New York (LSP 40/22).
4. Jerome Wiesner interview, November 10, 1987.
5. See, for example, Szilard to McCloy, April 4, 1961; Szilard to McCloy et al. on the Berlin crisis, July 7, 1961; Szilard to McCloy et al. with twenty-one-page “Disarmament” memo; McCloy to Szilard, September 1, 1961; Szilard to McCloy, October 6, 1961 (LSP).
6. George Rathjens interview, November 10, 1986.
7. Szilard to McCloy, October 6, 1961 (LSP).
8. Glenn Seaborg, Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Test Ban (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1981), p. 61. Szilard to Seaborg, March 19, 1961 (LSP 17/16).
9. Lisbeth Bamberger Schorr interview, April 12, 1988.
10. “I’m Looking for a Market for Wisdom,” Life, September 1, 1961, p. 76.
11. Louis Lerman interview, January 14, 1987. Thomas I. Emerson to the author, January 15, 1988.
12. Maurice Dolbier, “The Voice of Leo Szilard,” New York Herald Tribune, May 14, 1961.
13. “Letter to the Editor,” dated April 21, 1961 (LSP 27/7). Washington Post, April 20, 1961. New York Herald Tribune and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 27, 1961.
14. See Szilard to Kennedy, June 6, 1961 (JFK White House Names, Szilard Box 2745).
15. “Petition to the President of the United States” and May 10, 1961, Memorandum and letter to the President (JFK White House Names, Szilard Box 2745).
16. Marcus G. Raskin interview, April 18, 1988.
17. Szilard to Murrow, June 6, 1961 (LSP 13/26).
18. L. H. Thomas to Kennedy, May 15, 1961 (JFK White House Names,
Szilard Box 2745).
19. Franck to Szilard, May 21, 1961 (JRL Franck Papers 9/4, Leo Szilard).
20. FBI director to Byron R. White, May 12, 1961 (LSP). “Request called by White’s office 5–9-61” is written on Hoover’s note. White’s call may have been prompted by Szilard’s interview by Dan Dixon on CBS Radio that day.
21. Szilard to O’Donnell, May 19, 1961 (JFK, Rostow Box 3, General Correspondence No–Z, Sto–Sz).
22. Wofford to Kenneth O’Donnell, May 22, 1961 (JFK President’s Office Files, General Correspondence 1961 ST–SZ).
23. Bowles to Szilard, May 26, 1961 (LSP 4/36).
24. Isaacson and Thomas, pp. 608–609.
25. “Memo on Disarmament” by Szilard, July 18, 1961 (LSP).
26. “A Proposal by Professor Leo Szilard” (LSP 30/22). Szilard to Eaton, July 18, 1961 (LSP 7/24). Szilard to Kennedy, September 1, 1961. Kennedy replied with a noncommittal note on October 18, 1961 (LSP 11/5).
27. Memorandum, September 25, 1961. MIT Vol. III, p. 375. “Tentative Draft,” September 21, 1961 (LSP).
28. “Draft Proposal,” July 7, 1961, “Insert-Page 10-2-” (LSP).
29. Kissinger to Szilard, August 3, 1961 (EWP).
30. Kissinger to Bundy, with attached memos, undated from Kissinger and dated September 11, 1961, from Bundy (JFK Countries Box 56 C092/LG/ Berlin).
31. Jerome Wiesner interview, November 10, 1987.
32. Life, September 1, 1961, pp. 75–77.
33. “A Message to You from the President,” September 7, 1961. Life, September 15, 1961.
34. Ibid.
35. Martin Kaplan interview, September 4, 1986.
36. Joseph Rotblat interview, September 1, 1986. Bernard T. Feld interviews, September 1–3, 1986.
37. John Schrecker interview, November 11, 1987. Schrecker to the author, January 20, 1988.
38. Szilard to Khrushchev, September 20, 1961. MIT Vol. III, p. 296.
39. Draft letters to Bundy and Kaysen, September 25, 1961 (LSP).
40. Rauh to Szilard, October 18, 1961 (LSP 16/7). Yarmolinsky to Szilard, September 29, 1961 (LSP).
41. Barnet essay for Gertrud Weiss Szilard, undated (EWP).
42. Herbert York interview, January 24, 1986.
43. Szilard to Khrushchev, October 4, 1961. MIT Vol. III, pp. 297–99.
44. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, December 1961, pp. 407–12. Newsweek, December 25, 1961, p. 70.
45. Marcus Raskin interview, May 5, 1988.
CHAPTER 29
1. Draft dated October 30, 1961 (LSP).
2. Ibid, and “Are We On the Road to War?” draft, November 14, 1961, p. 14 (LSP).
3. Roger Fisher interview, November 13, 1986.
4. Szilard dictated an eight-page statement on October 30, 1961 (LSP).
5. Descriptions of the speech are from Barton J. Bernstein, in his introduction to MIT Vol. III and in personal interviews. “Are We On the Road to War?,” November 14, 1961, draft (LSP).
6. Holiday, February 1964, p. 94.
7. Audiotape of questions and answers after “Are We On the Road to War?” speech, November 17, 1961. My thanks to Helen Weiss for a copy of this tape.
8. MIT Vol. III, p. lxii. Szilard was scheduled to meet students at Associated Harvard Clubrooms, Holmes Hall, between 10:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Gar Alperovitz to Huberman, November 4, 1961 (LSP).
9. Bud Weidenthal, “First A-Bomb Builder Here for Peace Talk,” Cleveland Press and News, November 29, 1961; “Atomic Pioneer Asks Campaign to End War,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 30, 1961. “Responses to Date (February 24, 1962),” MIT Vol. III, p. 449.
10. “Responses to Date (February 24, 1962),” MIT Vol. III, p. 450.
11. Richard Lewis, “Szilard Urges People’s Drive, Lobby to Work for Peace,” Chicago Sun-Times, December 2, 1961; “Lobby Against War, A-Bomb Pioneer Urges,” Chicago Daily Tribune, December 2, 1961; “Developer of Atom Bomb Proposes Scientist-Scholar Lobby for Peace,” Washington Post, December 2, 1961; “Nineteen Years Later,” an editorial on Szilard’s council proposal, Chicago Sun-Times, December 3, 1961; Austin C. Wehrwein, “Scientist Would Form Council to Lobby for Abolishing War,” The New York Times, December 3, 1961; “Lobby for Peace,” Commonweal, December 15, 1961; “Human Nature: The Whys of War,” Science section, Newsweek, December 11, 1961. Gertrud Weiss Szilard FOIA request 62-59520 (LSP).
12. Allan Forbes to Szilard, November 19, 1961 (LSP 8/13). Forbes interview, November 11, 1986.
13. Maurice Fox interview, May 24, 1988.
14. Salk to Szilard, December 20, 1962 (LSP 17/6). Ralph Pomerance to Szilard, December 24, 1962 (LSP 15/19).
15. Szilard to Marcus Kogel, December 29, 1962, declining an invitation to be commencement speaker at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (LSP).
16. Theodore Irwin, ‘The Legend That Is Dr. Szilard,” Pageant, December 1961, pp. 53–59. My thanks to Irwin for a helpful reply to my author’s query.
17. “Atom Age’s ‘Father’ Lobbies Against War,” San Francisco Call Bulletin, January 10, 1962. David Perlman, “ ‘A People’s Plan’ to End Arms Race,” San Francisco Chronicle, January 10, 1962. Arthur Caylor column “Just 10 Years Left,” San Francisco Call Bulletin, January 11, 1962. William B. Wood, “Szilard Suggests a New Plan of Political Action,” Stanford Daily, January 16, 1962. Szilard pocket diary and correspondence with Joshua Lederberg (LSP 11/29). Clifford Grobstein interview, August 27, 1987.
18. Barbara Snader Public Service Announcement (LSP). Christian Science Monitor, January 24, 1962. “Special Note to the Speech ‘Are We on the Road to War?’ for Los Angeles Area Readers (January 18, 1962),” MIT Vol. III, p. 447.
19. Jack Roberts, “A-Scientist Offers Formula to Avoid Hot War,” undated Reporter clip from Portland, Oregon. “Atomic Pioneer Bares Peace Plan,” Oregon Journal, January 13, 1962. “Nuclear Expert Says World Rolling Along on Road to War,” Oregonian, January 13, 1962. “Expert Says Use of Nuclear Weapons ‘Inevitable’ if Victory US Goal,” undated Oregon clip. “Responses to Date (February 24, 1962),” Vol. III, p. 449.
20. WBAI talk in LSP. John C. Waugh, “Szilard Stumps for Strong Peace Movement,” Christian Science Monitor, January 24, 1962.
21. Fermi, Allison, Lashof, and Meier to Szilard, January 16, 1962 (LSP).
22. Gibson to Szilard, January 11, 1962 (LSP 8/30).
23. Penn to Szilard, February 12, 1962 (LSP 15/9).
24. Bancroft to Szilard, February 18, 1962 (LSP).
25. MIT Vol. III, pp. 448ff Just in case he might have missed any clever arrangements, Szilard also borrowed the bylaws of the National Committee for an Effective Congress, a group organized in 1948 that designated worthy candidates and pooled contributions to support them. Maurice Rosenblatt interview, February 3, 1986.
26. “Council Mailing with a Letter to Prospective Members (June 11, 1962),” MIT Vol. III., pp. 456–72. Ruth Adams interview, May 1, 1986.
27. Jennifer Robbins interview, December 6, 1985. Forbes to Feld, August 1962 (Council for a Livable World Archives, JGC). Feld Papers (MIA, CLW file).
28. Ruth Pinkson interview, September 15, 1991.
29. Forbes to Feld, “M. le Président du Conseil pour l’Abolissement de la Guerre,” August 1962, Feld Papers (MIA).
30. Michael Straight interview, April 14, 1988.
31. Time, March 23, 1962. Newsweek, March 26, 1962.
32. George McGovern interview, May 18, 1988.
33. “Camera Three” was broadcast on June 3 and 10, 1962, by CBS Television; transcript in LSP and excerpts in MIT Vol. III, pp. 381ff.
34. Kaplan, p. 315.
35. Allan Forbes interview, November 11, 1986.
36. Szilard quote from MIT Vol. III, p. 300. Bethe to Szilard, September 18, 1962 (LSP 4/29).
37. Szilard to Khrushchev, October 9, 1962. MIT Vol. III, pp. 300–330. “Confidential Memorandum,” January 8, 1963. MIT Vol. III, pp. 314–17.
38. Szilard to Khrushchev, October 9, 1962. MIT Vol. III,
pp. 300–330. Khrushchev replied November 4. Szilard to Livingston, October 12, 1962 (LSP 12/9). Copy in (JFK NSF Box 369, Disarmament Szilard, Leo #2a).
39. Allan Forbes interview, November 11, 1986.
40. Congressional Quarterly Service, p. 133.
41. Allan Forbes interview, November 11, 1986. See Szilard’s undated rough draft on the Cuban Missile Crisis (LSP), excerpts in MIT Vol. III, p. 478.
42. Holiday, February 1964, p. 96ff.
43. Lisbeth Bamberger Schorr interview, April 12, 1988.
44. Marcus Raskin interview, April 18, 1988.
45. Graham T. Allison, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1971), p. 131. Elie Abel, The Missile Crisis (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1966), p. 155.
46. Joshua Lederberg interview, May 20, 1987. Richard Garwin interview, September 4, 1986.
47. Paul Marks interview, January 21, 1988. Szilard’s October 25, 1962, notes (LSP).
48. Victor Weisskopf interview, December 16, 1985. Weisskopf NOVA interview (NV1625 SR206, p. 11).
49. Three weeks later, after exchanging several letters with Khrushchev, Kennedy announced that all Soviet missile installations had been dismantled and the US quarantine lifted. The United States quietly withdrew its Jupiters from Turkey. Only years later was it revealed, by former Secretary of State Dean Rusk, that Kennedy had a second fallback position; an offer through diplomat Andrew Cordier to have UN Secretary-General U Thant propose a mutual withdrawal of the Cuban and Turkish missiles. Eric Pace, “Rusk Tells a Kennedy Secret: Fallback Plan in Cuba Crisis,” The New York Times, August 28, 1987, pp. Al and A9. Walter Pincus, “Transcript Confirms Kennedy Linked Removal of Missiles in Cuba, Turkey,” Washington Post, October 22, 1987, p. A18.
50. Elias Blatter interview, July 6, 1987.
51. Livingston to Szilard, November 9, 1962 (LSP 12/9).
52. Khrushchev to Szilard, November 4, 1962. MIT Vol. III, p. 305.
53. Szilard to Khrushchev, November 15, 1962. MIT Vol. III, pp. 307–308.
54. Szilard’s November 19, 1962, Memorandum. MIT Vol. III, p. 309.
55. Szilard’s “Confidential Memorandum,” January 8, 1963 (LSP).
56. Marcus Raskin interview, April 18, 1988. Trude’s “Trip to Europe 1962,” Gertrud Weiss Szilard Papers (LSP), recapitulated in Szilard to Livingston, November 30, 1962 (LSP 12/9).
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