ABSTRACT
Earlier in the war, Truman had picked up hints about the Manhattan Project, the name used for the vast array of American, British, and Canadian scientific and manufacturing activities needed to produce the new bomb. Several days after the final report of the Interim Committee was submitted to Truman, one of its members, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Ralph Bard, began to have second thoughts. The Interim Committee, in its final report, had recommended that the president provide the Russians with general information about people atomic research before any bombs were used. Stimson personally vetoed proposals to bomb Kyoto, a religious and cultural center in Japan, but approved a number of other potential targets, including Hiroshima. May31 Interim Committee meets for the first time, produces memo calling for bombing of Japan without warning. June11 Franck report is completed. Aug 6 Hiroshima is bombed. Aug9 Nagasaki is bombed. Aug14 Japanese surrender and the Second World War ends.
