•HI 1 44052 iC 3 o 3 I • u_ • RET · ISTS l- f • -• October 6 1944 I Major General L R Groves P o Box 2610 Washington n C• • Dear General Groves •• I am glad to transmit tbe enclosed report of Captain Parsons wlth the general intent and spirit of which I am in full sympathy Thai e are a few points on which my evaluation differs •omewhat from that expressed in the report and it seem a appropriate to mention them at this time 1 1 I believe hat Oapt«in Parsons somewhat misjudges the temper of the responsible members of the laboratory It is true that there are a few people here whose interests are exclusively scientific in tho sense that thet will abandon any problem that appears to be soluble I believe that these men are now in appropriate positions 1n the organization For the most part the men actually responsible for the prosecution of the work have proven reaor la of carrying developments through the sc ant1t1c and into the engineering stage For the ruost part these men regard their work here not ns a sc1ent1f1o adventure but ae a 1 esponaible mission which will have failed tf it 1s let drop At tho laboratory pha$O I thoreto1•e do not expect t J have to take heroic measures to insure someth111G which I know ta be the common desire of the overwhelming majority of our personnel • • • • r -· • 2 I agree completely with all the comments of Captain Parsons' memorandum on the fallacy ot regarding a controlled test as the culmination of the work of this laborE tory The laboratory is operating under a directive to produce weapons thls dl rect1ve hae been and will be r goroualy adhered to The only reason why we contemplate making a teat and why I have in tl e past advocated t _ ia 1s because w1 th the present time soalea and the prenent radical assembly design this appears to be a necessary step 1n the production of a eapon I do not ·1sh to prejudge the issue 1t 1s possible that information available to us w1 thin the next months may make auch a test unnecessary I believe however that t e probabdlity of this 1s extremely small • I - Major General L R Grove• I 1 t ' _1 Page 2 r·• october 6 1944 - • • • • • This tact which rests on no perteot1on1at ideals for long- nDGe develoPID4'nt meana that there muat inevitably be aome duplication or effort and personnel it the varioua pqaaes or our pro r aoient1r10 engineering and military - are to b• carried out 11thout too great mutual interterence It is for thia reason that I should likB to atress Captain Parsons' remark that a very great a trengthcming in engineering is requ-1red ' 'he organt za ti onal experience which the last year bas given us ie no substitute tor competent engineers • I _ - - • • • r - I I • r • • __ • •• • I •- - I •· -'--•• • II • II- _ • ••• • r • I • •- uf t -• • I • ___ _ • •• • • I I • • •••• a • - - r • r I • - I -• • • • • t • • • • -• • • • • I • - Jl i • 1-1-- 011 I I •- I •• •• r •' • If - _ - - rely yours • co Captain Parsons • I • •• - I •• • r - - II I •• • • I I