Letter from Linus Pauling to Gunnar Jahn. September 4, 1959. Page 1  Larger Images / More Information. 2 pp.  View Transcript

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Activity Listings

• Article: "Stratospheric Carbon-14, Carbon Dioxide, and Tritium," Science. [Filed under LP Peace: (Materials re: Nuclear Fallout; Radiation Hazards, 1959), Box #7.003, Folder #3.15]
• Check from AHP to Linda Pauling Kamb for $50.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2]
• Check from AHP to Lucy Guteurez for $115.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2]
• Check from LP to Mrs. Joan Harris for $15.00. [Filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Bank Statements and Canceled Checks, December 1957-December 1959), Box #4.025, Folder #25.2] [Also filed under LP Biographical: (Business and Financial: Check Registers, 1957-1962), Box #4.076, Folder #76.1]
• Letter from Barbara Dodds to AHP and LP, RE: Expresses gratitude that she was able to meet them and that she hears they might be going to N.Z., tells them of a friend of her's in N.Z. that they should talk to if they run across her. Also asks if they could help her getting something published for her in the U.S. if they think it of any value. Includes handwritten note at bottom "P.S. I am not a communist!" [Filed under AHP: General Correspondence, Peace and Political, Box #1.004 Folder 4.1]
• Letter from Dr. Melvin Calvin, Department of Chemistry, University of California - Berkeley, to LP RE: Asks if he could pay a visit to a symposium called "Free Radicals in Biological Systems" which has been spurred mostly by Dr. M. S. Blois, gives the dates, and says they will naturally cover his expenses. [Letter from LP to Calvin October 1, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Calvin, Melvin), #57.4]
• Letter from Elizabeth Willis to LP, RE: Thanks LP for the copy of No More War! Willis is glad to hear that LP thinks that public opinion will carry some weight in the fight against atomic weapons testing. [LP's reply October 1, 1959] [Filed under LP Peace: (Materials re: Strontium-90, June 1959-November 1959), Box #7.012, Folder #12.17]
• Letter from Ernest V. Frederick to LP, RE: Frederick thanks LP for his letter and is sorry that he missed LP's talk on TV about Strontium. Frederick asks if LP is familiar with the research done by Ephraim School and Ann Carter in Cornell Hospital. Frederick does intend to carry on in his development of Atomic System of Therapy. [LP's letter August 24, 1959] [Filed under LP Peace: (Materials re: Strontium-90 June 1959-November 1959), Box #7.012, Folder #12.17]
• Letter from LP to Davis Dresser, Torquil and Company, Inc. RE: Says he is sorry that his letter just reached him as it was forwarded to Europe and then sent back to Pasadena, says he would be glad to read the manuscript of The Last Day, gives the dates when he will be in Pasadena, and gives the dates when he will be staying at the Telluride House at Cornell University. [Letter from Dresser to LP June 29, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (D: Correspondence, 1959), #98.24]
• Letter from LP to Editor, New York Times, RE: Encloses a letter, concerning the damaging effects of strontium-90 on human beings, to the editor of the Times to be published in the letters column. [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1959a.16]
• Letter from LP to Editors of the Progressive RE: Encloses a letter to the editor in hopes that it will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Progressive. [Letter from Rubin to LP September 10, 1959] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1959a.17]
• Letter from LP to Gunnar Jahn, Norges Bank. [Filed under LP Science: (World Academy of Sciences, 1958-1963), Box #14.043, Folder #43.1]

  4 September 1959

  Director Gunnar Jahn

  c/o Norges Bank

  Dronningensgatan 16

  Oslo, Norway

  Dear Dr. Jahn:

  I am pleased to tell you that my wife and I have now arrived safely at home, after ten weeks of travel in various countries.

  It is hard for me to believe that we have done so many things during this period, and have had so many interesting experiences.

  Our ten-day visit with Dr. Schweitzer in Lambarene was especially interesting. I had the privilege of spending several evenings with Dr. Schweitzer, and of talking with him in detail about the problem of preserving peace in the world, and also about various problems of ethics, morality, and philosophy. I feel that these discussions have given me considerable help in connection with the preparation of my Messenger Lectures, which are to be given at Cornell University during October. The Messenger Lectures are supposed to be on the evolution of civilization, and I plan to talk about this subject from the scientific point of view - perhaps I should say from the molecular point of view.

  Dr. Schweitzer was pleased to receive the greetings from you which my wife and I gave him. You may have seen him, now that he has returned to Europe. I had never met him before, but the impression that I got was that he has aged somewhat during the last year or two. His voice has become rather weak, and he seems to tire easily.

  Before going to Africa we spent a couple of weeks in England, attending some international scientific conferences. We also had some days in Germany. There I gave nine public lectures, in nine different cities. These lectures, which were given in German, were attended by between eight hundred and twelve hundred people apiece. Most of them were given under the title "Unsere Wahl: Atomtod oder Weltregierung." The lectures varied a bit from city to city, but I was careful to give exactly the same lecture in the free university in West Berlin and in the Humboldt University in East Berlin. I hope that these lectures are of some help in encouraging the Germans to resist remilitarization.

  From Africa we went to Stockholm, in order to take part in the Triennial World Congress of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. My wife is a member of the United States National Board of this organization, and both she and I took part in the Stockholm meeting, which was held in the House of Parliament. I also gave a public address, with the title "Our Choice: Nuclear Death or World Law," in the Blue Room of the City Hall in Stockholm, and I had the opportunity to talk with Prime Minister Erlander and with the Foreign Minister of Sweden. I hope that Sweden will decide not to manufacture atomic weapons.

  The Fifth World Congress Against A and H Bombs, held in Hiroshima during the early part of August, seemed to me to be a great success. The Japanese government, which had given a subsidy to the first four World Conferences Against A and H Bombs, refused to make a grant to the Fifth Conference. This action is without doubt connected with the present negotiations between the Japanese government and the United States government to modify the United States - Japan Security Pact in such a way as to permit the remilitarization of Japan. There is very strong popular opposition to this modification in Japan, and this opposition found expression in many of the speeches given by Japanese participants in the Fifth World Conference. However, the Conference was pretty successfully kept at work on the problem of formulating a statement about the general world situation. The principal action of the Fifth World Conference was to prepare and approve this statement, which is called The Hiroshima Appeal. I enclose a copy of this Appeal, which seems to me to be a good document.

  I am sure that conferences of this sort do a valuable service, in aiding in the presentation of information about the present world situation to the people of the world. My wife and I have decided that we shall accept the invitation of the Australian and New Zealand Congress for International Cooperation and Disarmament to take part in their meeting in Melbourne, Australia, from 5 to 14 November.

  I am pleased that my book "No More War!" has now been published in Japanese and Italian translations, and that several other translations are being prepared.

  My wife joins me in sending best regards to you, and in expressing the hope that your efforts to obtain international control of the whaling industry are meeting with success.

  Sincerely yours,

  Linus Pauling:lh

• Letter from LP to Helen Buckley RE: Says some mail that was forwarded by his secretary just arrived in Pasadena, says her was one of the ones he just saw, hopes word was sent to her that it would not be possible for him to come to Saskatoon as his schedule only permitted the visit to Edmonton, and apologizes for the delay in answering her letter. [Letter from Buckley to LP June 19, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (B: Correspondence, 1959), #39.2]
• Letter from LP to John Simmons, Cornell University Press, RE: Says the copy for the catalogue seems satisfactory. Sends a photograph of himself for use in promotions. [Letter from Simmons to LP August 7, 1959] [Filed under LP Books: 1960b5.3]
• Letter from LP to Kanji Otani RE: Regrets that he was unable to visit Otani and his family during his recent trip to Japan. [Note from Otani to LP and AHP August 6, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Otani, Kanji), #297.6]
• Letter from LP to Marvin Winkler, Blood Characterization and Preservation Laboratory, RE: Explains that he has trouble understanding Winkler's postulated theory of antibody production. Says he has much doubt about the theory because it disagrees with his own ideas about complementariness. [Letter from Winkler to LP August 9, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W: Correspondence, 1959), #444.7]
• Letter from LP to Paul Peachy, Mennonite Central Committee, RE: Regrets that he was unable to meet with the group of missionaries. Explains that he has been traveling since June. [Letter from Peachy to LP June 22, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (P: Correspondence) #313.7]
• Letter from LP to Richard H. Rockwood, Florida State University, RE: Says he is unaware of a satisfactory theory about the color of metals. [Letter from Rockwood to LP August 28, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (R: Correspondence, 1959), #341.5]
• Letter from LP to Seymour Chwast, The Push Pin Studios RE: Says he has returned from a long trip abroad and so just saw his letter, says issue No. 21 of the Push Pin Graphic is a fine contribution to the effort to provide information about the world situation to the people of the world, and says he is glad to have the copies of the publication. [Letter from Chwast to LP July 8, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (C: Correspondence, 1959), #75.2]
• Letter from LP to W. H. Freeman, W. H. Freeman and Co., RE: Says he knows Bell of Oxford well and is sure that his book is a good one. Informs that he cannot comment on Slater or his book. [Letter from Freeman to LP July 9, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (W. H. Freeman and Company, 1959), #439.17]
• Letter from Thomas A. Bledsoe, Associate Secretary, Council for Basic Education, to LP RE: Says Gustav Albrecht has put forth a proposal to write an analytical and historical book on education in California, says he put LP as one of his references, and asks questions about Albrecht. [Letter from Harris to Bledsoe September 11, 1959] [Filed under LP Correspondence: (Albrecht, Gustav, 1939-1964), #4.1]
• Telegram from LP to Ruth Rosenwald RE: it will be difficult to come East on October 25th due to Australia and other commitments [Filed under LP Travel: Box #1.002, Folder 2.5]
• Typescript: No Title, Letter to Editor of the Progressive, September 4, 1959. [re: letter to the editor by Nat S. Finney, "Pauling Reply to the Editor," July 1959 issue] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1959a.17]
• Typescript: No Title, Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, [re: Effects of Strontium-90] [Filed under LP Manuscripts of Articles: 1959a.16]