Department of State Atomic Energy Files
The Chief of Naval Operations (Nimitz) to the United States Representative on the Atomic Energy Commission (Baruch)
Dear Mr. Baruch: I will attempt to give you briefly my views concerning the atomic bomb. The fundamental objective is to outlaw the bomb and prevent its use.
The only course which now appears to offer real prospect of reaching the objective is through a program which by stages will attain international control of the mining and reduction of uranium and thorium ores, the distribution of the metals, and the production and use of fissionable matter together with completely effective international inspection to assure compliance with the control agreement. This program, to be fully effective, should utimately include a prohibition against the possession of atomic bombs by any individual nation.
The United States is now in a position of advantage with respect to the atomic bomb. We should exploit that advantage to assist in the early establishment of a satisfactory peace and should relinquish it no more rapidly than is justified by the proven development of agreed controls. It will be desirable for international agreements concerning the atomic bomb to follow the European peace treaties and definitely to precede the time when other countries could have atomic bombs.
[Page 854]No plan of peacetime control will surely prevent the use of atomic weapons in a prolonged war. However, a plan which prevents the possession of atomic bombs by individual nations will prevent their use in a surprise attack.
The problem of punishment for violations of a treaty concerning atomic warfare is difficult. I have grave misgivings about the effectiveness of any international agreement to take concerted action, and I urge that no program be adopted which places major reliance on one. I feel that despite the sincerity with which all parties might enter into any such agreement, the formation of blocs or coalitions, particularly around powerful nations, will impair or destroy the will and power to carry it out.
I do not believe that the people of this country are prepared now to enter into an agreement for automatic punishment of other nations for acts which do not directly concern the United States. In other words, the people of the United States will in fact insist on the power of their elected representatives to veto the deliberate entry of the United States into war. I do believe that after it became known that another nation was violating the treaty and preparing to use atomic weapons, the people of the United States could then be induced to take action.
The ideal way to outlaw the bomb would be to outlaw war itself. In my opinion, it will not be possible to outlaw war or to dispense with armaments in our time. It will probably be possible to outlaw atomic bombs long before we could succeed in outlawing war. The method may be to make the penalties attendant on its use greatly outweigh the potential advantages.
I can offer no formula for surely preventing wars. The likelihood of war can be reduced only by eliminating conditions which breed wars. The likelihood of defeat in war can be reduced by keeping our own country sufficiently strong to make the eventual penalties of attacking us severe, obvious, and certain.
Very sincerely yours,
Fleet Admiral, U. S. Navy