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Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5207

History Department Telephone: (205) 844-4360
7030 Haley Center 11 September 1991 ATTNet: 221-4360

Professor Joshua Lederberg
The Rockefeller University
New York, New York 10021-6399

Dear Professor Lederberg:

Thank you for your kind remarks about my article in the 1986
volume of Defense Analysis. I have received a number of
complimentary comments about it, which is somewhat surprising
since “Preparing for What Never Came" was my first and only
effort in the area of chemical and biological warfare. I became
interested in the subject in response to a student’s question:
“Why didn't the warring powers use chemical gas in World War II
as they had in World War I.” Every step I took to find an answer
for this student led me deeper into the subject and eventually
resulted in this article. I truly enjoyed researching and
writing it, because so much of what is in it is not well known
and because it is one of the few examples in world history where
societies developed weapons and then decided not to use them.

You asked for copies of the reports cited in note 5,
including intelligence reports from the records of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. I'm sorry but I did not make copies of any of
these when I examined them in the National Archives, relying
instead on index card notes taken from them. If they are of
special interest to you, you may try writing the National
Archives in Washington directly. Usually the staff there is
willing to provide photocopies or microfilm of specific report
citations for a small fee.

You also asked if I have published further on this subject.
I'm sorry to say I have not, for two reasons. First, the logical
follow-up topic for this work would have been a study of American
chemical and biological development during the period of the Cold
War, but I immediately ran up against national security
restrictions. I tried for nearly a year to pursue this study,
but was unable to gather sufficient documentary sources to make
further efforts profitable. I filed a number of Freedom of
Information Act requests, largely without success. The major
problem was that you have to be able to describe the records you
want released under the Freedom of Information Act, but I was
never able to discover sufficient information to even describe
the records I needed. A great deal of the information available

A LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY
in any cage remained under strict security classification
restrictions.

Second, I am primarily an air power historian. As you may
have noticed, there is a significant slant toward chemical and
biological aerial weapons in “Preparing for What Never Came.”

The reason I was unable to pursue chemical and biological weapons
research further was that another project intruded into the few
hours available to me for research and writing. I recently
completed this effort in a book entitled To Command the Sky: The
Struggle for Air Superiority over Germany, 1942-1944, published
by the Smithsonian Press.

Concerning Hinsley's volumes on British intelligence, to my
knowledge no other volumes have appeared. We still await a
history of the role of ULTRA in American strategy. A recent
volume comes close, but is remarkably thin in comparison to the
Hinsley volumes. The book I refer to is an interview with
Supreme Court Justice Powell about his experiences in World War
II working with the ULTRA/ENIGMA project and published by the
Office of Air Force History.

I wish I had the time to continue research in this area,
because it is truly a fascinating one, especially given the
recent troubles in the Middle East. My original area of
historical concentration was the Middle East, making Iraq's
chemical and biological programs of special interest to me.
Unfortunately, again, time does not permit. I am currently
researching and writing a book manuscript on the development of
the Norden bombsight and the doctrine of daylight precision
strategic bombing in the United States. I have always been
fascinated that the United States, alone among the nations of the
world, developed a "“war-winning” doctrine based on destroying the
machines of war rather than simply killing people, sticking to it
in World War II despite many obstacles. I intend for this book
to be not only a technological and military history, but moreover
a social history of the American people and their unique
commitment to waging total war with a minimum of civilian
casualties.

I know most of what I have written go far is not exactly
what you wanted to hear, but I do have at least one affirmative
answer to pags on to you. One of the few documents I discovered
in the USAF archives and was able to have declassified under the
procedures of the Freedom of Information Act was a rather
fascinating study of Air Force involvement in biological warfare
written for the Air Materiel Command in 1952 by Dorothy L.
Milier. Despite a TOP SECRET classification, I was able to
secure the release of one hundred pages of this study, though
without citations and without some details. In any case, I have
photocopied the study for you and have enclosed it. It is your
copy, #0 please do not feel the need to return it. Also, please
do not attempt to compensate me for the expense. If you find it
informative and of use, then that is payment enough.
Unfortunately this study only runs through 1952 and therefore
includes nothing on biological warfare developments during the
height of the Cold War. I apologize for the red marks.
Understand that they are mine and are not a part of the original
document.

Again, many thanks for the compliments, which are especially
flattering coming from a scholar of your stature. If I may be of
further assistance, please feel free to call or write.

Sincerely,

LEZ ZUMA”

Stephen L. McFarland
Associate Professor of History