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Professor Albert Einstein, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey.

Dear Professor Einstein:- Your communication of January 22nd has been received. I am glad to respond to your request with the enclosed check. Naturally, it is generally hoped and expected that your distinguished committee may do a great deal of good towards instituting appropriate controls for the use of atomic energy, throughout the world. You may remember me as one of the young men whose laboratories you visited with Professor Millikan, when you were at the University of Chicago back in 1920. During 1942-43, I worked again at the University as a junior executive on the Metallurgical Project. As a former member of the old staff, I would like to offer a few words of comment regarding the general problem of control, which confronts us all. It is recognized that your work with the constituted authorities is a noble and necessary effort; but, if a mere youngster of 53 yrs. may be permitted to express an opinion, I should like to say that a more fundamental and practical basis for the elimination of anti-social devices probably exists. Scientists, engineers and other members of the growing technological profession should not pass the moral responsibility for their acts quite so easily, even to an ideal world government. We must take this responsibility, individually and collectively, as men who understand and value the social freedom which we have enjoyed in the past. Because of it's devotion to truth, and the consequent suppression of most of the ordinary self-interest, our profession has at times been closer to the desired world-wide understanding and accord than any other. It would seem, therefore, that an organization of scientists and engineers, with your objectives, might be more readily formed and maintained than one of a political nature. If on an international basis, we were to let it be known that the profession would decline all requests to work on anti-social devices, there could be no bombs in the future, nor anything else of the kind to threaten the Christian civilization which we fondly hope may eventually prevail. Political controls also must have real international acceptance to become effective; thus, the professional plan is no more difficult than a political one, and, it may be more practical in that it probably would eliminate most of the trouble at it's source. For hundreds of years, physicians have applied desirable social controls in the practice of their profession, with manifest success. Perhaps both forms of control are needed. May I recommend their consideration, together, to your committee? With cordial greetings and all good wishes, Sincerely yours, Andrew M. MacMahon 2501 Southmore Blvd., Houston 4, Texas.