Atomic+-+Stimpson1

From: Henry Stimson, Secretary of War To: Harry S Truman, President of the United States of America

Judging by the urgency in the letter, it was vital that Truman responded immediately.

Summary: The atomic bomb will be completed within four months. The U.S. has control over the resources although the UK is aware of its development. We can't keep this a secret for long and other countries might create atomic bombs in the future. This weapon is very dangerous and could bring down whole nations. This is a serious desicion that will highly affect both the U.S. and Japan. Steps are being taken to form a committee that will recommend action to the Executive and Legislative branches and the War Department.

5. The world in its present state of moral advancement compared with its technical development would be eventually at the mercy of such a weapon. In other words, modern civilization might be completely destroyed.

This statement is one of the most important in the letter. It declares how such a weapon can decide the fate of the whole earth. Nothing would be how it is now for a very long time. Survival would be mankind's number one priority. This has great significance to our future- if we were to be attacked via nuclear bombs, America would cease to be America. There would be chaos and uncertainty everywhere. The desicion to drop the bomb on Japan most likely revolved around the thought of destroying civilization.

Stimson doesn't believe the United Nations can keep control over this weapon for long. Such a dangerous weapon can't be restrained forever and war between countries can change the desicion whether or not to use more atomic bombs.