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    "ocrText": "January 13, 1947\nDear Mr. Earle:\nCarter Barron gave me a photograph\nof the Potsdam \"Little White House\" sequence\nin THE BEGINNING OR THE END and later I saw\nthe whole picture on the screen.\nYou certainly have reproduced me\nin a most flattering way. In fact, I think\nyou look more as a White House secretary should\nlook than I do. Please accept my compliments\nand my grateful appreciation of your portrayal\nof \"Charlie\" in what must have been a pretty\ndifficult scene. I like the result very much.\nSincerely yours,\nHARTY NATIONAL TRUMAN LABORY\nMICHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nCHARLES G. ROSS\nSecretary to the President\nMr. Edward Earle\nc/o Mr. Sam Marx,\nMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios,\nCulver City, California.\ncgr:mb\nPhoto in scrapbook\nJanuary 13, 1947\nPERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL\nDear Art:\nThank you very much for your friendly letter of\nJanuary seventh. I appreciated it very much. I don't mind\nit at all that you put an extra \"Charlie\" into the script.\nYou did a fine job as President Truman in \"The Beginning or\nthe End\".\nI suppose you know that the first sequence on\nPresident Truman was, as we thought here, pretty bad because\nit gave the impression that he made a snap decision to drop\nthe bomb on Hiroshima. The new scene puts over the idea -\nthe true idea - that this decision was taken only after the\nmost prayerful decision and upon the advice of all his lead-\ning military advisers. You and Edward Earle bring out this\nfact very clearly, and for this I feel personally indebted\nto both of you.\nI handed to the President this morning the letter\nyou wrote to him. Perhaps you will hear from him directly.\nIf you are ever in Washington, I should be delighted\nif you would give me a ring.\nSincerely yours,\nHARRY ARCHIVES TRUSTAN NATURIAL NO STATE\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nCHARLES 0. ROSS\nSecretary to the President\nMr. Art Baker,\nKFI,\n141 North Vermont Avenue,\nLos Angeles 4, California.\ncgr:mb\nART\nBAKER\n& H/S\nNOTEBOOK\nJanuary 7, 1947\nDear Charley:\nAddressing you so informally is not\nan attempt at facetiousness, believe me. I\ncannot really think of you any other way,\nbecause it's as \"Charley\" that I've come to\n\"know you\". I'm the fellow who was picked\nto play the part of President Truman in the\npicture, \"The Beginning or the End\" - and my\nopening line in the epic was, \"Charley\".\nAfter saying your name several hundred times,\nfor the re-takes were numerous, I began to\nfeel as if we were old friends. I even argued\nwith the director, and had one more \"Charley\"\nput in the script, because it added warmth\nand friendliness. The line was, \"One year\nless of war, Charley =\nI am enclosing a letter to The\nPresident, which I trust you will forward\nfor me. The opportunity to send you my good\nwishes I could not let pass.\nHARRY NATIONAL TRUMAR USRAN\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nCordially,\nGOVERNMENT\nEnclosure.\nThe Secretary to the President,\nWashington,\nD. C.\nDELIVERED - ART BAKER'S NOTEBOOK - KFI, LOS ANGELES\nJAN. 6, 1947\nPRESIDENT'S VOICE\nAlong about now, I suppose, there are millions of Americans reviewing\nPresident Truman's \"State of the Union\" message to the 80th Congress. Industrialists,\nundoubtedly, are considering the prospects for industry in the months just ahead.\nLabor leaders must surely be cogitating on the potential effects upon labor,\nemployment, and the cost of living. Politicians are undoubtedly reviewing that\nmessage with a fine tooth come, to carefully analyze everything with political\nsignificance.\nAs for ME? I am NOT an industrialist - and I'm not much of a laborer when\nI can get OUT of it. I have no political ambitions. And so, having heard the\nentire address via the radio - you MIGHT figure off hand that I'd be able to appraise\nit with a certain amount of impartiality. But such, I find, is NOT the case. And\nI was a little amazed to discover that I, too, have an angle.\nI'll leave it for OTHERS to ferret out the political, economic, or\nSARPY ARCHIVES NATIONAL TRUMAN ANI\nRECORDS\ninternational significance of the words he spoke.\nand content myself with\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nreflection on HOW he SPOKE them.\nOver a period of years, I've known a NUMBER of folks who've taken classes\nin speech, diction, elocution, and kindred subject. I've wathshed watched folks\nheading off for special schools, to learn how to be radio announcers. I've heard\n'em before and AFTER graduation. But never, to my knowledge, have I witnessed a\nmore amazing demonstration than the one I heard today 1 the calm, sure, decisive, and\nin some places almost ELOQUENT voice of the President of the United States. And I\nfound it difficult to REALIZE that this was the same man who spoke rather hesitantly\nand maybe even a bit awkwardly, during his first radio addresses to the nation, after\nassuming his high office. Speaking coldly, critically, and analytically - I can\nNOT recall a more eloquent demonstration of improved microphone technique, on the\npart of anybody who'd attended any special radio school. He spoke for 51 minutes -\nwhich may be mere statistics to a LOT of people. But I have a hunch that any public\n-2-\nspeaker in the COUNTRY would tell you that THAT'S a pretty rugged test of\nthe vocal cords. In its way, its comparable to the 500 mile Indianapolis\nspeedway test of an automobile. And yet, today, President Truman spoke\nfor those 51 minutes without faltering - without signs of hoarseness - without\nlapsing into the mere mechanical transformation of words on paper into sound.\nWithout any difficulty, I am positive I could find you any number of people,\nprofessionally engaged in radio, who could not DUPLICATE that feat.\nAnd with this comes a provokative realization: The President of\nthe United States has OTHER duties - aside from merely taking lessons in\nspeech delivery, or in rehearsing a speech for delivery.\nUnlike the student at radio school, he can NOT devote his entire energies to\nthe study of voice control and microphone technique. There are OTHER details he\nmust attend do - like international diplomacy - labor problems - legislative\nproposals - and explaining why he doesn't choose to resign from office. Not to\nmention buying the first Christmas seals, reviewing the budget, going home for\nChristmas, and what have you. And it is thoroughly amazing to me that any man\nwith so many duties and responsibilities could demonstrate such remarkable\nimprovement in the delivery of an address to the Congress and to the nation.\nOh I know. This is entirely INSIGNIFICANT, compared to the text of\nthe address. Any man who would listen to a STATE OF THE UNION message, and\nHARRY ARCHIVES NATIONAL TRUMAN AND LIBRAN\nbe impressed by the VOICE, is comparable to the man who'd visit a famous art\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\ngallery, and be impressed by the FRAMES. That misses the point ENTIRELY.\nAnd yet radio HAS introduced a subtle change into our American way of\nlife, and it fills the gap between the President and the people of the United States.\nIt has become a significant factor, not only in political campaigns themselves,\nbut in the building of confidence and reassurance, BETWEEN campaigns. Being\npersonally engaged in radio, I mm naturally more impressed by such things than is\nthe average citizen. Millions of Americans are reviewing today's address by our\nPresident, from that standpoint which strikes most closely to home - be he an\nindustrialist, a laborer, a politician, or a radio spieler.\n-3-\nAnd while I, admittedly, must be missing at least 99 and 44 hundredths\npercent of the SIGNIFICANCE of today's address by President Truman, I am STILL\nimpressed with how capably he handled himself before the microphone, for 51\nminutes. And I wouldn't be surprised if this factor shouldn't be considered, too,\nby those who are studying the POLITICAL impact of today's Presidential address?\nFor by such a slender thread, may hang a large measure of Presidmial confidence\nand prestege. We are in the midst of a peculiar and perhaps passing era, when\nthe VOICE of man in public office is his strongest bond with the people of his\ncountry.\nPART ARCHIVES 5. NATIONAL TRUMAN AND LIBRARY\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nZile\nNovember 21, 1946.\nLoew's Incorporated\nCulver City, California\nGentlemen:\nIn connection with your photoplay concerning the\natomic bomb project and its ramifications, entitled\nTHE BEGINNING OR THE END, I hereby authorize my\ndepiction as a character in this photoplay and the\nuse of my name in connection therewith.\nThis consent is given for your benefit as well as\nfor the benefit of your successors and assigns.\nHARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIBRARY\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nSincerely yours,\nChal 210m\nCharles Ross\nSEE: McGUINNESS, JAMES K.\nLetter dated November 18, 1946 addressed to Mr. Ross from James K.\nMcGuinness of M-G-M inre \"Beginning or the End.\"\nHORE OF ARCHIVES TRUMAN NATIONAL AND LIBRARY\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nCOPERNMENT\nNovember 8, 1946\nDear Mr. McGuinness:\nEnclosed is the revised script.\nYou will notice that I did not make very\nmany changes.\nIt was a pleasure to work with you\nand I trust that everything will turn out\nsatisfactorily.\nSincerely yours,\nHARRIT HARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIBRERY\nARCHIVES AMD\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nCHARLES G. ROSS\nSecretary to the President\nMr. James K. McGuinness,\nMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios,\nCulver City, California.\nEnclosure\nAir Mail\nfale with O then\nmataine on this\nHARRY S. ARCHIVES NATIONAL TRUMAN AND LIBRARY\nsubject\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nWaltof n.y.\nMR. JAMES KEVIN McGuinness\nM.G.M.Stadios\nExcerpt from \"The Beginning or the End\"\nSTOCK SHOT - ROOSEVELT FUNERAL\n162\nDISSOLVE TO:\nINT. PRESIDENT'S OFFICE - WASHINGTON\n163\nThe set-up is similar to that of Scene 31,\nbut now Truman works at desk. Stimson sits\nnearby. Groves is shown in.\nStimson\nMr. President, this is General Groves.\nTruman\nHow are you, General?\nGroves\nFine, Mr. President.\nStimson\nHe has carried the ball on this project so far,\nand has prepared a detailed report.\nGroves\nAs our new Commander in Chief, we now deliver to\nyou our country's Top Secret.\nGroves, on far side of desk produces twenty-\npage report, yands it to Truman, who reads a\nfew lines with growing excitement, looks up,\ngrins.\nTruman\nBubble gum, eh?\n(pause)\nEvery time I tried to get into one of your plants --\nall I got out of it was a memo reading: \"Dear\nHarry. Please lay off. I'll explain later. F.D.R.\"\nMARRY ARCHIVES TRUMAN ENTIONAL STATE\n(pause)\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nHe never did. The country's Top Secret has been\nU.S.\nBUVERNMENT\nwell kept.\n(he reads on)\nTwo billion dollars to date - that's a hot potato.\n(finally looks up)\nWhat do you want from me?\nGroves\nThe continued support of the White House, Mr. President.\nTruman\nWhen will you know if it'll work?\nGroves\nWe hope to test it in July.\n- 2 -\nTruman\nHow soon after that can we drop one on the enemy?\nGroves\nIf the test succeeds, perhaps by August.\nTruman\nThe Germans may not last that long.\nGroves\nJapan will. And there is reason to believe they\nmay soon be meeting our invasion ships and troops\nwith atomic weapons.\nStimson (thoughtfully)\nSome scientists feel we ought to tell our enemies\nwe have the bomb and ask them to surrender. If\nthat fails we should drop the first bomb in an\nuninhabited area -- as a warning.\nGroves\nI'm afraid those scientists don't know the people\nwe're fighting. That indirect procedure will\nnever make them quit.\nPresident is grave. Others watch as he gets\nup, goes to window and looks out at Washington\nMonument.\nHARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nGroves\nSERVICE\nYou both know the situation in Europe. The staff's\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nplans call for landing a million men in South Japan\non November first. Another million land on the\nplains of Tokyo ten days later. A third million in\nreserve. The minimum estimate of our losses is\nha If a million men.\nTruman (leaves window, looks at picture)\nPresident Roosevelt must have given this & great\ndeal of thought -- and what it may mean in the future\n(pause)\nThis is the most difficult decision any man ever\nhad to make. But I think more of our American boys\nthan I do of all our enemies\n(finally turns into light)\nIf your test is successful -- and the bomb is not\nneeded against Germany -- we will tell Japan to\nsurrender or face destruction. If they refuse you\nwill take it to the Mariannas and use it.\nDISSOLVE TO:\nARS GRATIA\nMETRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER\nPICTURES\nDISTRIBUTED BY\nLOEW'S INCORPORATED\nLOEW BUILDING - 1540 BROADWAY\nNEW YORK 19, N. Y.\nNovember 1, 1946\nMr. Charles Ross,\nMuehlebach Hotel,\nMARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN PREMIUM\nARCHIVES ARD\nRECORDS\nKansas City, Missouri\nGOVERNMENT\nDear Mr. Ross:\nI am enclosing three copies of a draft of the\nnew scene we discussed in Washington the other day. This seems\nto me to incorporate all the matters we talked about, but it is,\nof course, tentative and I am eager to discuss it with you and\nto incorporate anything else you deem advisable.\nSince time is a vital factor in the release of this\npicture, I would like to suggest a procedure. If you and Mr.\nConnelly can read this material, I will be in Chicago on Monday\nand can fly down to Kansas City to see you, reaching there late\nMonday afternoon. Then, if all goes well, I can rejoin my wife\non the Santa Fe Chief, or Super Chief, whichever we have space on,\nwhen the train passes through Kansas City late Monday evening, or\nTuesday morning, as the circumstance may be.\nThe people on the Coast have been urging me to return\nso that the revisions and retakes in the picture can be organized,\nso I will have to proceed to Culver City as soon as I can get my\nwork finished in New York. The procedure I suggest would save time\nfor the picture. If it is not practicable, I would have to go on to\nthe Coast and fly back to Washington later for conference. This\nwould involve more delay for the picture than the mere flight would\nindicate.\nSo I hope we will be able to get together in Kansas City.\nI will telephone you from Chicago Monday forenoon to confirm.\nMay I thank you for the great kindness and courtesy\nall of you showed me in Washington?\nSincerely,\nNEW SCENE..\nTHE BEGINNING OR THE END.\nNote: The set should follow the proportions and the furnishings\nestablished by the photographs previously mailed of the President's Sitting\nRoom in the Little White House at Potsdam. Lighting should be so contrived\nthat the President is always in shadow. The intent is to establish his\npresence, but - in keeping with precedent -- not to photograph him clearly\nat any time. Photographic emphasis in the scene must be away from the actor\nwho plays the President and never towards him. He must never be photographed\nfull face, or straight on. There must be no close angles on the President.\nChanges of angle necessary for dramatic progression of the scene must be so\ncontrived that they are from the President's point of view, shooting over\none, or the other of his shoulders. In longer shots, he must be a figure\nin shadowed profile.\nIn the re-casting, it must be emphasized that the President is a\nman of upright and military bearing; that he is physically trim, alive and\nalert, and that his actions are brisk and certain.\nThe President wears in his lapel the bronze star discharge button\nof World War I.\nHARRY ARCHIVES AND TRUMAR LIBRARY\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nIt is deemed best, for the effect we want, to set the time of the\nGOVERNMENT\nscene as immediately after dusk -- the moment when there is just a glimmer of\nday still outside and a lamp - if it is switched on -- casts a pool of light\nin its own immediate area, but does not illuminate the rest of the room.\nSCENE. INT. PRESIDENT'S SITTING ROOM. LITTLE WHITE HOUSE. DUSK.\nThere is a heavy, elaborately carved table, which serves as a desk,\nat an angle in front of a window. The President is seated behind\n- 2 I\nthe desk, HIS BACK TO CAMERA. Charles Ross, the White House Press\nSecretary, enters. He has some mimeographed sheets in his hand.\n(Note: See photographs for casting.) There is a big desk lamp\non the table. CAMERA FOLLOWS ROSS as he enters. He places two\nof the mimeographed sheets on the desk, switches on the desk lamp.\nThe effect desired here is to create a pool of light on the desk,\nand so more effectively to keep the President in shadow when he\nturns away from the window.\nRoss. (As he does this.)\nI distributed the text of the Potsdam Proclamation to the press, Mr. President.\n(He moves to the extreme end of the desk away from the\n&\ndoor. The President swings back from the window, in\nshadow behind the lamp's pool of light.)\nThe President.\nWhat was their reaction?\nHARRY HARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIDER\nARCHIVES ADD\nRoss.\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOYERNMENT\nGreat approval - and great curiosity.\nThe President.\nWhat's so curious about Great Britain, China and ourselves calling on Japan for\nimmediate surrender - now that Germany's beaten?\nRoss.\nThe last sentence. (Reads.) \"The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruc-\ntion.\" The word 'prompt' got them. Some of the boys are guessing it means we've\n- 3-\ngot more B-29's than anybody knows. Some of the others think we've got some\nsort of mysterious secret weapon.\nThe President.\nThose newspapermen are shrewd guessers.\nRoss. (Startled.)\nSir?\nThe President.\nSit down, Charlie.\n(Ross does.)\nThe time has come for you, as Press Secretary, to know our nation's top secret --\nand it must remain just that - top secret.\nRoss.\nOf course.\nHART NATIONAL TRUMAN LIDRARY\nMACHIVES AND\nThe President.\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\nOur country, with the help of scientists from nearly all the United Nations, has\ndeveloped the most fearful weapon ever forged by man - an atomic bomb.\nRoss.\nEven the word sounds frightening.\nThe President.\nIt has been tested -- and it works. In peace, it will provide such power as will\neventually lift most of mankind's burdens. In war - its destructive power is as\n- 4 -\nmuch greater than any existing explosive as an anti-aircraft searchlight is\nbrighter than a Christmas tree candle.\nRoss.\nI see what 'prompt and utter destruction' means. If they had it, they'd use\nit on us.\nThe President.\nThat's a persuasive argument, Charlie - but not a decisive one.\nRoss.\nIt would be so for me, Mr. President.\nThe President.\nI've consulted about this every day for weeks, now. With the Chiefs of Staff,\nnaval and military; with the Secretaries of State, War and Navy, and Mr. Churchill,\nwith our greatest scientists. The concensus of opinion is that the bomb will\nshorten the war by approximately a year.\nRoss.\nWARRY TRUMAN LISTORY\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nWho disagreed?\nGOVERNMENT\nThe President.\nNobody, actually. Some scientists who worked on the project think we should drop\nit on an uninhabited area as a warning. But the staff is sure the Japanese\nmilitarists would never let their people learn about it.\nRoss.\nI go along with that completely.\n- 5 -\nThe President.\nThe army has selected certain Japanese cities which are prime military targets --\nbecause of war industry, military installations, troop concentrations or forti-\nfications. We will shower them for ten days with leaflets telling the popula-\ntions to leave - telling them what is coming. We hope the warnings will save\nlives.\nRoss.\nThey should - and, if the bomb shortens the war, that should save plenty of\nAmerican lives, too.\nThe President.\nA year less of war will mean life for untold numbers of Russians, of Chinese . 1\nof Japanese - and from three hundred thousand to half a million of America's\nfinest youth. That was the decisive consideration in my consent.\nRoss.\nAs President of the United States, sir, you could make no other decision.\nThe President.\nAs President, I couldn't. So I have instructed the Army to take the bomb to the\nMariannas and -- when they get the green light to use it.\nDISSOLVE TO:\nWARRY ARCHIVES TRUMAN NATIONAL RECORDS AND STATE\nEXISTING SCENE. WASHINGTON AIRPORT.\nGOVERNMENT SERVICE\n- 1 -\nRoss (As he does this)\nI have just distributed to the press the text of the Potsdam\nDeclaration - the ultimatum to Japan.\nThe President\nWhat was their reaction?\nRoss\nGreat approval I and some curiosity.\nThe President\nWhy the curiosity? Why shouldn't we and Great Britain and China\ncall on Japan for immediate surrender, now that Germany is beaten?\nRoss\nThat last sentence, Mr. President. (Reads.) \"The alternative for\nJapan is prompt and utter destruction.\" That word \"prompt\" struck\nthem. Some of the men are guessing that it means we've got more\nB-29's than anybody knows. Some of the others think we've got some\nmysterious new weapon.\nThe President\nREPART KACHWES NATIONAL TRUMAN AND YOUR\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nThose newspapermen are shrewd guessers.\nLAS\nGOVERNMENT\n- 2 -\nRoss (Startled)\nSir?\nThe President\nSit down, Charlie.\n(Ross sits)\n2 want to tile you\nThe time has come for you, as Press Secretary, to know our nation's\ntop secret. It must remain just that I top secret.\nRoss\nOf course!\nThe President\nWe have developed the most fearful weapon ever forged by man - an\natomic bomb.\nRoss\nEven the word is frightening.\nThe President\nIt has been tested - and it works. It's a harnessing of the basic\npower of the universe. In peacetime, atomic energy can be used to\nbring about a golden age - such an age of prosperity and well-being\nas the world has never known. In war, this same energy has destructive\npower almost beyond the comprehension of man.\nMARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIBRARY\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\n& GOVERNMENT\n- 3 -\nRoss\nIt's clear now what those words \"prompt and utter destruction\" mean.\nThank God we have the bomb and not the Japanese! If they had it,\nthey would surely use it on us.\nThe President\nThat's one argument for our using it, Charlie, but it's not the decisive\nargument.\nRoss\nThe whole thing is terrifying. You must have spent some sleepless\nnights over it.\nThe President\nYes, it has cost me some sleep. I have had to males a tremendous\ndecision. I have consulted day after day with all my top military\nand naval advisers. I have talked with the civilian heads of the\nwar effort. All these advisers tell me that the bomb will shorten\nthe war by at least a year.\nRoss\nWhere are we going to use it?\nThe President\nARCHIVES NATIONAL RECORDS TRUMAN LIBRARY\nE.S.\nSERVICE\nThat's another question I have had to think about. The Army has\nGOVERNMENT\nselected certain Japanese cities which are prime military targets -\n- 4 -\nThe President\nbecause of war industries, military installations, troop concentra-\ntions or fortifications. We are going to shower these places for\nten days with leaflets telling the populations to leave 1 telling\nthem what is coming. We hope the warnings will save lives.\nRoss\nThey should - and, if the bomb shortens the war - that will save\nmany thousands of American lives.\nThe President\nA year less of war will mean life for three hundred thousand - maybe\nhalf a million I of America's finest youth. Not only that, but it\nwill mean life to untold mumbers of Russians, of Chinese, of Japanese.\nThese were the decisive considerations in my consent.\nRoss\nAs President of the United States, sir, you could make no other decision.\nThe President\nAs President, I could not. So I have told the Army to take the bomb\nto the Mariannas and - when they get the green light - to use it.\nDISSOLVE TO:\nEXISTING SCENE. WASHINGTON AIRPORT\nSTATEM ARCHIVES NATIONAL TRUNAN AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nGOVERNMENT\n- 1 -\nRoss (As he does this)\nI have just distributed to the press the text of the Potsdam\nDeclaration - the ultimatum to Japan.\nThe President\nWhat was their reaction?\nRoss\nGreat approval - and some curiosity.\nThe President\nWhy the curiosity? Why shouldn't we and Great Britain and China\ncall on Japan for immediate surrender, now that Germany is beaten?\nRoss\nThat last sentence, Mr. President. (Reads.) \"The alternative for\nJapan is prompt and utter destruction.\" That word \"prompt\" struck\nthem. Some of the men are guessing that it means we've got more\nB-29's than anybody knows. Some of the others think we've got some\nmysterious new weapon.\nHARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIBRARY\nARCHIVES AND\nBECORDS\nSERVICE\nThe President\nU.S.\nGOVERNMENT\nThose newspapermen are shrewd guessers.\n- 2 -\nRoss (Startled)\nSir?\nThe President\nSit down, Charlie.\n(Ross sits)\nThe time has come for you, as Press Secretary, to know our nation's\ntop secret. It must remain just that - - top secret.\nRoss\nTHE TRUMAN NATIONAL 1\nARCITIVES SYCORDS AND\nOf course!\nUS\nThe President\nWe have developed the most fearful weapon ever forged by man - an\natomic bomb.\nRoss\nEven the word is frightening.\nThe President\nIt has been tested and it works. It's a harnessing of the basic\npower of the universe. In peacetime, atomic energy can be used to\nbring about a golden age such an age of prosperity and well-being\nas the world has never known. In war, this same energy has destructive\npower almost beyond the comprehension of man.\n- 3 -\nRoss\nIt's clear now what those words \"prompt and utter destruction\" mean.\nThank God we have the bomb and not the Japanese! If they had it,\nthey would surely use it on us.\nThe President\nThat's one argument for our using it, Charlie, but it's not the decisive\nargument.\nRoss\nThe whole thing is terrifying. You must have spent some sleepless\nnights over it.\nHARRY NATIONAL TRUMAN LIGRARY\nARCHIVES AND\nRECORDS\nSERVICE\nThe President\nGOVERNMENT\nYes, it has cost me some sleep. I have had to make a tremendous\ndecision. I have consulted day after day with all my top military\nand naval advisers. I have talked with the civilian heads of the\nwar effort. All these advisers tell me that the bomb will shorten\nthe war by at least a year.\nRoss\nWhere are we going to use it?\nThe President\nThat's another question I have had to think about. The Army has\nselected certain Japanese cities which are prime military targets -\n- 4 -\nThe President\nbecause of war industries, military installations, troop concentra-\ntions or fortifications. We are going to shower these places for\nten days with leaflets telling the populations to leave - telling\nthem what is coming. We hope the warnings will save lives.\nRoss\nThey should - and, if the bomb shortens the war - that will save\nmany thousands of American lives.\nThe President\nA year less of war will mean life for three hundred thousand - maybe\nhalf a million - of America's finest youth. Not only that, but it\nwill mean life to untold numbers of Russians, of Chinese, of Japanese.\nThese were the decisive considerations in my consent.\nRoss\nNATIONAL TRUMAR\nARCINVES AND\nAs President of the United States, sir, you could make no other decision.\nThe President\nAs President, I could not. So I have told the Army to take the bomb\nto the Mariannas and - when they get the green light - to use it.\nDISSOLVE TO:\nEXISTING SCENE. WASHINGTON AIRPORT."
}