Chapter 385 Manhattan Project
"Dear Professor Zhang, I originally planned to go to Kunming to see you. Now you are in Chongqing. That's great." Stilwell said with a face full of gratitude. He had just taken up the post of Chief of Staff of the Allied China Theater, Supreme Commander of US Forces in the China-Burma-India Theater, and US Representative of the Allied War Commission in the China-Burma-India Theater. His work was very busy. Zhang Xingjiu's visit to Chongqing helped him save a lot of time.
Stilwell arrived in China more than ten years ago and had already mastered the Chinese language fluently. He could also write in Chinese and understand Peking Opera, so he could communicate without an interpreter. And what we were going to discuss today was indeed not suitable for the presence of an interpreter.
After the greetings, Stilwell said with a serious expression, "Thank you very much for your great contribution to the Allies' resistance to the Japanese fascist invasion. Now, on behalf of the United States of America, I have something to discuss with you about whether the Allies can achieve final victory! But before the discussion, I need to check whether there are any eavesdropping devices here and get your assurance that today's conversation cannot be disclosed to anyone."
As soon as he heard this, Zhang Xingjiu probably knew what he was going to talk about. "I am willing to do my best for the victory of the Allies, and I can also agree to your request, but the premise is that this matter does not threaten China."
Stilwell hesitated for a while, but finally gave in and said, "Okay, I'll take my word for it."
After obtaining Zhang Xingjiu's permission, he called several technicians, checked Zhang Xingjiu's room, and left only after confirming that it was safe. There were only two of them left in the room again.
Stilwell closed the door, sat down again and said, "According to our understanding, Nazi Germany began to implement the 'Uranium' plan as early as February 1937. They set up a department headed by physicist Kurt Dibner. The department has more than 100 scientists, including famous scholars such as Abraham Eschau, Walter Gerlach, and Erich Schumann."
"Now Werner Heisenberg, Otto Hahn and others have also joined in. They are trying to use the principle of nuclear fission to develop a powerful super weapon, which poses a great threat to the Allies and peace-loving people around the world."
"The United States of America cannot allow such a weapon to fall into the hands of the Nazis. We, the Allies, also want our own super weapon, but the scientific community still has doubts about whether such a weapon can be manufactured. So President Roosevelt entrusted me to seek your opinion. You are the greatest physicist in the world today, and you are also the originator of the energy equation. The president believes that your opinion is crucial."
Zhang Xingjiu shook his head. "Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Lawrence, Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Teller are all in the United States. They are capable of solving this problem."
"In fact, Professor Einstein has written a letter to President Roosevelt. He believes that it is feasible to use certain radioactive materials to make super weapons. However, the President feels that it is still necessary to seek your opinion. Your reply will affect the final decision of the White House!" Stilwell replied. Judging from the tone of his voice, his attitude should be exactly the same as Roosevelt's.
Because just as he said, Zhang Xingjiu is now the greatest physicist in the world. If he says that the plan is not feasible, then the White House will have to think carefully about it. If he judges that it is feasible, then the White House will be under much less pressure when making a decision.
Haha, they only mentioned certain radioactive substances but not uranium. The confidentiality attitude is quite strict. However, these are useless. When it comes to understanding of nuclear weapons, there is still no one in the world who can compare with Zhang Xingjiu.
Considering that the Manhattan Project might have already begun to move forward, it would be useless to stop it, and this plan did speed up the surrender of the Japanese, so Zhang Xingjiu gave an affirmative answer, "Theoretically speaking, it is feasible."
"The Joliot-Curie couple proved that neutrons produced by fission can cause a chain reaction, and Otto Hahn discovered nuclear fission. These two achievements are enough to prove the great power of atomic energy."
"As a scientist, I don't want to see the greatest scientific achievement of mankind turned into a weapon of killing, especially since the power of this weapon will definitely exceed your imagination."
"If the theory is correct, just one such super weapon can destroy buildings covering several square kilometers and cause hundreds of thousands of casualties. Those who die directly in the explosion may not be so lucky, but those who are injured by radioactive substances will face long-term suffering."
Zhang Xingjiu said this with compassion on his face, but then he thought that the Americans first used the atomic bomb on the Japanese, so he felt relieved. He even felt that the Americans dropped too few bombs and should have dropped more.
Stilwell quickly recorded Zhang Xingjiu's words and continued to ask, "So how long do you think it will take and how much money will it cost to produce such a weapon, given the current technological level and production capacity of the United States? Also, Professor Einstein made a guess in the letter that this weapon might be very heavy and might not be able to be dropped by airplanes, but could only be transported by ships. Do you think that's correct?"
"This will require a huge investment. Even if Einstein, Fermi, Oppenheimer and others are responsible for it, preliminary estimates show that it will take two to three years and cost nearly one billion US dollars." Zhang Xingjiu deliberately said less so as not to scare the Americans.
"One billion dollars!" Even so, Stilwell was shocked. "This money is enough to build more than ten battleships!"
The current cost of building an Iowa-class battleship is about 70 million US dollars, and 1 billion US dollars is enough to build 15 battleships.
At the same time, during World War II, the total amount of US aid to China was only US$845 million, which shows how huge the expenditure was.
After calming down, Stilwell continued to ask, "Now scientists have found three fission methods. Which one do you think is most suitable for making this weapon?"
Zhang Xingjiu shook his head decisively. "I am not very familiar with the research frontier of nuclear fission. As you know, most of these studies are conducted in secrecy. It is difficult for me to access these things in China, so I cannot make a judgment."
The general questions can be answered. Even if there was no Zhang Xingjiu, the Americans would have planned to launch the Manhattan Project.
The details must not be disclosed. Zhang Xingjiu had no intention of saving money for the Americans. What if he aroused their vigilance and assassinated him? He also wanted to pass on this knowledge to the two bomb heroes.
After asking a few more questions, Stilwell asked the last question, "Professor Zhang, are you willing to go to the United States to lead this work?"
(End of this chapter)
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