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Letters: October 25, 1995
The BombFor those agreeing with the revisionist views on the use of the atomic bomb in World War II as expressed in several letters in the September 13 PAW, I suggest they read Herb Hobler '44's book, And Now the News, 1945, which I recently purchased at the University Store. This radio-news chronology puts the events of the last year of the war in their proper perspective. I have given a copy to each of my four children with a note describing my own experiences at the time as a member of the armed forces. If it had been necessary to invade the Japanese islands in November 1945, the resulting blood bath would have been unequaled in history. It is important for future generations of my family to appreciate that they might not have existed if Truman had not had the courage to use the Bomb to end the carnage.T.B. Fisher '46 Princeton, N.J. Those who criticize Truman's decision to use the Bomb should have attended the wonderful ceremony celebrating the end of World War II put on by the Class of 1945 at Reunions. At least a quarter to a half of those attending from the classes of the 1930s and '40s would not have been present if the bombs had not been dropped. Nor would probably a million-plus Japanese of the same ages who are alive today. Allison D. Teaze '45 Little Falls, N.J. It was Emperor Hirohito who ordered Japan's surrender, not the Japanese government. According to Premier Suzuki's account, following the bombing of Nagasaki and the dropping of leaflets over Tokyo by U.S. forces, Hirohito called 24 military and civilian leaders together to ask their advice. Admiral Toyoda and General Anami led the war party, and they prevailed--their advice was to continue the war. Without the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the emperor would have had neither the inclination nor the political ability to bring about a surrender. The Manhattan Project should also be celebrated because without it, the U.S. couldn't have brought the bulk of its forces home and demobilized after the Japanese surrender, for we would have had to maintain our conventional forces to counter the Soviet military. Jacques B.J. Read '57 Bethesda, Md. Your June 7 article on Princeton and the Bomb brought to mind a recent article in the Washington Post titled "War Heroes of Another Sort," which included this 1930 quotation from Albert Einstein: "Under the present military system, every man is compelled to commit the crime of killing for his country. The aim of all pacifists must be to convince others of the immorality of war and rid the world of the shameful slavery of military service." The author, Colman McCarthy, noted that an estimated 1,675 conscientious objectors went to jail during World War II for their beliefs. I wonder how many of those COs were Princetonians, and what sort of support the university gave them? Has Princeton ever granted recognition to their peacemaking efforts? As McCarthy writes, "The two bombs ended the war but not war-making." Surely the pacifist's witness to the quest for an end to war-making also deserves recognition in this 50th-anniversary year of the end of World War II. I urge all alumni with stories to tell to share with us their experiences. Gerry Yokota-Muakami *92 gyokota@lisa.lang.osaka-u.ac.jp Osaka, Japan Caroline Moseley's article "Princeton and the Bomb" brought back some memories of an entirely different order. My father, Walter A. Dew '21 *24, joined the du Pont company after receiving his doctorate in physical chemistry. In the fall of 1941 he was transferred from Carneys Point, New Jersey, to the Indiana Ordnance Works at Charlestown, Indiana, where du Pont was producing smokeless powder for large guns. After two more moves--to Oklahoma and back to Indiana--he was temporarily assigned to the University of Chicago, which as I later learned was the site of the first atomic pile. Then came his transfer to Oak Ridge, Tennessee. As far as our family was concerned, both the Chicago and Oak Ridge moves were cloaked in mystery, because he was not allowed to tell us what he was doing. The experience of living at Oak Ridge (where, I found out later, my father was training technicians for the Hanford Engineer Works, which produced the plutonium for the Manhattan Project) was like nothing we had ever known. Because it was deemed safer for employees to live close at hand, a city of some 35,000 people had been built and closed off from the surrounding countryside. All residents had to have badges, and every entrance was guarded. For workers at Oak Ridge, the standard reply to the question of what they were making was "$10 an hour." By the summer of 1945 my father was back at the Oklahoma Ordnance Works. By this time, it was clear we would win the war, and the plant was being prepared for closing. In August, of course, the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The news was so momentous that the entire plant closed for a day of celebration. During the day off, I said to my father, "That's what you were doing at Oak Ridge, wasn't it?" His reply: "I still can't tell you." Thomas R. Dew '50 Chadds Ford, Penn.
Death in RwandaIt's not surprising that Josh Hammer '79, Newsweek's sub-Saharan Africa correspondent, did not believe Olivier when the young waiter foretold the coming holocaust in Rwanda, given the shallow press research (First Person, June 7). He apparently went into the field without reading the reports of Amnesty International, Africa Watch, and other groups working in the region. These detailed thousands of politically motivated killings, the shaky peace agreement at Arusha, the existence of the Interahamwe militias, and the staunch refusal of the president's followers to share power with the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Such knowledge would have supported Olivier's prophecies, and perhaps Mr. Hammer would have seen his warnings as good sense rather than paranoid delusions. Among the dead were many such prophets, both Hutu and Tutsi. They were the first targets on the execution lists. I disagree with Mr. Hammer's statement that he traveled "where few Westerners had gone before: straight into the ultimate Heart of Darkness." Conrad notwithstanding, the region has been full of Westerners, busy at tasks malign and benign, for many years. The West supported Rwanda's former government, now reorganizing in the refugee camps in eastern Zaire. Both Amnesty International and Africa Watch recently reported covert arms shipments arriving weekly at Goma's airport, and the training and rearming of the genocidal militia in French military bases in Zaire and the Central African Republic. Some of the grenades bear U.S. markings and may have come from U.S. aid to insurgents in Angola. The heart of darkness is a human thing, not an accident of geography. Is Hammer including as "Westerners" the 11 million victims of genocide in World War II and the Westerners who slaughtered them? Did no Westerners help to train the death squads of Central America? What about the Westerners who brought us My Lai and Hiroshima? Was not the Oklahoma City bombing the true expression of a very dark Western heart indeed? The developing world has no monopoly on the evil potential in the human heart, nor is it bereft of what is beautiful therein. Africa has its heroes and heroines, and many of great spirit and mind who let their light shine, often at immense risk. They are Hearts of Light, perhaps, and Africa's future. If indeed Hammer finds himself returning to Rwanda as often as he predicts, perhaps he will speak with some of them, and bring us their stories. Sarah Milburn Moore Chair, Central Africa Coordination Group Amnesty International USA Lawrenceville, N.J.
Saving the tigerI enjoyed your September 13 feature, "Can We Save the Tiger?" All thinking people would like to see this great cat preserved and its numbers grow, and I would like to offer a politically incorrect suggestion for that purpose: that sport hunting be part of the conservation effort in behalf of tigers.People in poor parts of the world such as India, China, and Siberia are not going to listen to rich Americans telling them about how to save their wildlife if such plans involve setting up vast game preserves at public expense--unless those preserves provide a direct and substantial financial benefit to the local people. Revenue sources ought to include not only tourism but hunting, whose high license fees provide more revenue than minibuses full of tourists. Revenues from licenses and trophy fees should be shared with local people, and the hunting should be regulated to insure the long-term growth of animal populations. Hunters care deeply about the species they hunt, and they are willing to preserve populations so that some prudent number of animals remains to be hunted. Walter W. Winget '58 Peoria, Ill. Robert McClung '39's article on tigers briefly mentioned a project underway in Siberia supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and Exxon. As executive director of the NFWF, I'd like to elaborate on our Save the Tiger Fund, to which Exxon has committed $5 million. The fund supports habitat protection and research to help save tigers in the wild throughout Asia, to strengthen programs in zoos, and to build public awareness of the tiger's plight. The nonprofit NFWF was established by Congress in 1984 to conserve fish, wildlife, and plant resources. The NFWF has leveraged more than $158 million toward more than 1,200 projects in the U.S. and 17 other countries. Those seeking more information on the Save the Tiger Fund can write to me c/o the NFWF, 1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20035. Amos S. Eno '72 Washington, D.C.
Palmer StadiumI read with interest the October 11 letter of Eric Drieband '86 regarding the university's plans to raze Palmer Stadium. During this academic year we will be having major discussions with the trustees and others about the stadium, but the focus will be on building a new facility to meet the university's needs in the 21st century. Unfortunately, Palmer Stadium's physical deterioration is extensive and has accelerated in recent years. Even if we had unlimited funds to do so, restoring the 81-year-old stadium could not extend its life for more than a few years. Palmer Stadium is not like a normal building in which the shell and structural elements can be maintained and preserved independently of the functional areas inside. In Palmer, the grandstands themselves and the columns that support them are both the functional elements and the structure--in this respect, the stadium is much more like a bridge than a building. We can debate whether more timely maintenance in the past might have prevented the current deterioration, but it's a sad fact that, at this point, these elements simply cannot be saved. Indeed, tests on the stadium conducted this summer show we have only a few years left before facing serious safety questions about its continued use. I think we have made significant progress on these issues as a result of our many conversations with alumni and others over the last year. At this relatively early stage, however, there are still differences of opinion about many important specifics. Some of the issues still being discussed are programmatic (for example, whether the fields should be large enough to accommodate soccer and lacrosse as well as football, and whether we should try to incorporate a track within the stadium or place it elsewhere), while others have more to do with architectural effect and campus planning (including whether to rebuild in a horseshoe shape and re-create some version of the outer arcade). The new stadium will be included in the table of needs for the university's five-year, $750 million fund-raising effort, which will be officially launched next month. As plans for the new stadium proceed, we welcome input from alumni and other friends of the university. Richard R. Spies *72 Vice-President for Finance and Administration Princeton, N.J.
Cross-CountryThe football preview in your issue of September 13 reminded me again that paw's sports coverage is lopsided toward high-profile sports like football and basketball. I hope you will give better coverage to the cross-country team, which deserves recognition for its hard work, talent, and past winning seasons. Coach Mike Brady has recruited another spectacular class, one that includes Alex Fuhrman '99, a Colorado state champion. He has joined James Colling '98, who with Tim Lear '96 won the Tigers' opening meet last month; Eric Willis '97, who overcame serious illness and injury last spring to train hard during the summer in order to qualify for the NCAA championships; and Scott Anderson '96, who is ranked among the top 10 milers in the country. Jason Rhodes GS Princeton, N.J.
In TributeI noted with sadness the untimely passing of Carl Wartenburg at age 46 (Notebook, September 13). Those who knew him have suffered a profound loss. Carl possessed intelligence, judgment, morals, dedication, and the most outstanding "people skills" I have ever had the privilege to observe. At Princeton he stood alone in his knowledge of people and events on the campus, and his contributions to improving relations among the student body, faculty, administration, and the eating clubs were unequaled. It was a delight working with Carl, and Princeton will continue to enjoy the effects of his accomplishments for years to come. To cite just one example, the cooperative spirit he fostered helped make it possible for the administration to allow the clubs to link up with the campus fiber-optic network. Louis Emanuel '51 New Florence, Penn.I was saddened to read in the July 5 Notebook of the death of Professor Ludmilla B. Turkevich. In the 1940s I was privileged to study Russian with her, and it was she who introduced me to the marvelous world of the great 19th-century Russian novelists. Those were small classes and the Russian program was in its infancy, but what we lacked in numbers we more than made up for in intensity and enthusiasm, stimulated and guided by three wonderful teachers, with Mrs. Turkevich teaching the more advanced courses. In my senior year, when I started contemplating a career in teaching literature, Mrs. Turkevich advised and encouraged me and later supported my efforts with letters of recommendation and continued interest in my graduate studies and career. Curiously enough, I was remembering my association with her only the day before the July 5 paw arrived. She was not only an accomplished humanist but a great human being. John H. R. Holt '49 Oakland, Calif.
Pointed RemarksAs a former mayor of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, I couldn't help noting in the July 5 Memorials a misspelling of Grosse Pointe. There are five Grosse Pointes: the City of Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Grosse Pointe Shores. All five of these names have an "e" on Pointe. Do I make my pointe? Joseph L. Fromm '53 Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.
Paw welcomes letters of general interest to alumni. We reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and civility. Our address is Letters, 194 Nassau St., Princeton, NJ 08542. You can E-mail us at paw@princeton.edu.
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