Thursday, November 13, 2008

24. To Albert Einstein 1

Bertrand Russell wrote to Albert Einstein on 11th February 1955:

Dear Dr. Einstein,
In common with every other thinking person, I am profoundly disquieted by the armaments race in nuclear weapons. You have on various occasions given expression to feelings and opinion with which I am in close agreement. I think that eminent men of science ought to do something dramatic to bring home to the public and Governments the disasters that may occur. Do you think it would be possible to get, say, six men of the very highest scientific repute, headed by yourself, to make a very solemn statement about the imperative necessity of avoiding war? These men should be so diverse in their politics that any statement signed by all of them would be obviously free from pro-Communist or anti-Communist bias. I have had a letter from Joliot-Curie which I found encouraging since the fact that he as a Communist and I am not did not prevent agreement on this matter. I expressed my own feelings in a broadcast of which I enclose a preprint. This has evoked a surprisingly favourable response in this country; but in other countries, other voices are needed. I do not know personally any of the American atomic scientists, but I read their Bulletin monthly with interest and usually with agreement. I am sure that there are many of them who are anxious to find some way of preventing atomic disaster. Do you know of any way of securing effective action from any of these men?


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