[Marxism] U.S. Leaders Against Use of Atomic Bomb at Hiroshima

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Probably many on this list already know about this site. However, I
just came across this by surfing on another issue. You might want to
mark it (better to copy it so it won't be lost in the black hole of the
Internet) for use in talks, leaflets, etc. We are coming up on the 60th
Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this August.

Eisenhower, Admiral Leahy, John McCloy and several others.

Here is LEO SZILARD

After Germany surrendered, Szilard attempted to meet with President
Truman. Instead, he was given an appointment with Truman's Sec. of
State to be, James Byrnes. In that meeting of May 28, 1945, Szilard
told Byrnes that the atomic bomb should not be used on Japan. Szilard
recommended, instead, coming to an international agreement on the
control of atomic weapons before shocking other nations by their use:

"I thought that it would be a mistake to disclose the existence of the
bomb to the world before the government had made up its mind about how
to handle the situation after the war. Using the bomb certainly would
disclose that the bomb existed." According to Szilard, Byrnes was not
interested in international control: "Byrnes... was concerned about
Russia's postwar behavior. Russian troops had moved into Hungary and
Rumania, and Byrnes thought it would be very difficult to persuade
Russia to withdraw her troops from these countries, that Russia might
be more manageable if impressed by American military might, and that a
demonstration of the bomb might impress Russia." Szilard could see that
he wasn't getting though to Byrnes; "I was concerned at this point that
by demonstrating the bomb and using it in the war against Japan, we
might start an atomic arms race between America and Russia which might
end with the destruction of both countries."

http://www.doug-long.com/quotes.htm

from Brian Shannon


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