Transcript of Lansing Lamont Interview with Ralph Carlisle Smith of Los Alamos Laboratory (Tape X)
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OCR Page 1 of 24TAPE X
This is an interview with Ralph Carlisle Smith, who was Assistant Dean at
Highlands University at Las Vegas, Nevada and was Patent Attorney and
Legal Advisor at Los Alamos.
LAMONT: Do you want to tell us the relationship now between the
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military and the scientists ?
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SMITH I would say that the relationship between the military and
the scientists was at high level excellent. When I say high level I am not
talking about on ly the high level military, but the high level laboratory. I
think the relationship between Oppenheime r and Groves was unbelievable,
the confidence that Groves had in Oppenheimer and the respect of hismen.
Although Los Alamos was a military installation with a commanding officer,
it was unique in that Oppenheimer was not laboratory director, he was project
director. In essence the military man reported to Oppenheimer, and he was
there to provide service for the laboratory director. If any time he did not
provide the service, or did anything which was irritating to Oppenheimer,
the commanding officer was the one who would be cracked on the wrist.
The military were there to provide services, such as buildings, garbage
disposal, heat, power and the rest of the things. I'm talking in a way thinking
that you're going to try to listen to this afterwards. Now, Oppenheimer would
pick up the phone and call Groves directly with no military channels or anything
else. It was a directliaison between the two. Further than this, Groves relied
on three men in Washington that apparently had extreme competence and he would
send these three men out to Los Alamos to discuss matters with Oppy. These
three men are Dr. R. C. B ohling, a very
physicist, who I believe is
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