UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

~et.27, 1950

IN REPLY REFER TO;

Dear Josh,
IT an almost ashamed to write but here coes anyway.

Tam enclosing the suggestions for preparing research proposals .
There is no real necessity to be unduly conservative in your
application since at the moment, we have quite adeouate funds
available. We very often buy quite major items of equipment,

the title usually remaining with the university except for the
very expensive items auch ae x-ray machines, In feneral, we

do not like to assume obligations for parte of the salary of
regular staff membere although we do pay the salaries of
research assistant which might be hired specifically for the

Fr oject.

If you care to do so, you might send your tentative proposal te
me at my home address so I could examine it and make my suggestions
I might care to.(How's that for a sentence?)

In regard to the manuscripts, I have been spending what littletime
I have had available on them. I am reasonably sure they will be

in your hands in another week, I apologize for the delay but

life has been a rat race Tately. This weekend ig out for I

must go to Ithaca. Cornell and the AEC are debating the

fate of yours truly at the moment. I have told the commission

that I am ultimately returning to Cornell, They approached Cornell
re. an extension of leave through second term next year which
would permit me to continue until next fall. This is the

subject of the debate. Probably, there will be a compromi se

of sorts but it appears quite likely that I will retain some
connection here until negt fall. I would rather like to do go

for several reasons,

I don't know whether I discussed the situation with respect te
research support of investigators who politically at some time

or other were on the liberal side of the fence a bit too far to
pemmit clearance. I have been fighting thie battle with the
peaple here, with especial reference to Muller, and I believe I
&m Winning it. Unless the election should result in wide republican
gains giving them control of the senate and house with consequent
changes in the joint atomic energy committee, I feel ere that
clearance er any Affff political background will not be a factor
@,long as the project is entirely of an unclassified nature,
This has not, unfortunately, been true in the past, rthanks in no
small part to such outstanding senators as Wisconsin's McCarthy
and Jowa's Hickenlooper. The constant threat posed by such agces
serves to intimidate high officials, mmetimes to the extent iseue
where formal policy ig ignored for the sake of av@oidine ~—Y
which might serve as amminition for such senatorg,
UNITED STATES
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION

IN REPLY REFER TO: WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

Tronically, I just received a letter from Muller about this,
Equally, ironically, when discussing this whole question with
Smyth the other day, his eecretary intermupted the conference
by bringing in the press release about McCarthy's latest

blest atout communist infiltration into the scientific corps
of the AEC.Toe show the total po of scruples of the man, only

one of the nine ent foned Mere y connection with the AEC
at thie time gel et bod AW rpeespd yew, Pt ase,

Enough of this. But it serves to show some of the rather
frustrating and time coneuming headaches one encounters in

thie job. It is fun for awhile and I think I have done sone
service to the scientific community in a very devious, indirect
way perhaps, but I can't see spending the rest of one's life
in such a position. AMif one stayed here very Tong, I'm afraid
he'i have to for nobody would hire you.

I don't have your las letter here go can't go into the discussion
re the Atomic Weapons @ffect matter. I am appreciative of your essentially
supporting cpinion hawever.

Incidentally, another consideration making an AEC contract
somewhat desirable is the present policy, which may or may not
be desirable, of requesting deferment from selective service
of personnelJ associated with such contracts.

Guess I have rambled on enough for this time. Please congider

yrts of thie letter off the record.1 shall try to get the papers to
you s0ome.

Greetings to Esther,

Woy

Max