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DASA 2019-2

which they could develop and then lead into new directions, and that

ROOT: I think, going back to Dr. Warren's question, that applies
also tothe press. You say you get ‘on the beach" and you have ''no
place to hide" and you get all these distorted veports, But what are
those writers going to do” [unfortunately have a disciplined background, having been a research scientist myself, which holds me up
terribly in this profession, But everything is a struggle. And journalists and writers eventually give up. There arc very few instances,
I think, in which, ifa subject is entirely in the open, there's vot
great cooperation between the scientists and the writers. It couldn't
be greater, and [know Dr. Langham has helped writers at great cost
to his own time and energy, [I'm sure. But when it impinges on an
area which is not necessarily classified, but on one in which there
is uncertainty as to classification, ['ve talked with people and quoted
figures and they have stared back as though I had leprosy and could
contaminate them, They hadn't known and they would say, ‘Where
did you get that figure? It's never been published," And [ would say
that it had been published in such-and-such. It's just tou great a task.
It's a lifetime work to kecp up with what is declassified and what remains classified. So, the only way for sanity is just not to say anything. But then we expect the writer to be able to communicate to the
public who support the research and who really are an informed public, the strength of the democracy, and he's got nothing to say, but
he's got a job to fulfill.
UPTON: [think the morning session has to be brought to a close,
and I'm reminded of an amusing anecdote, We've been talking about

an information problem, really, and [heard a story about the Wind

Scale incident which indicates how frequently in an astonishing situation where one is caught by surprise and has one's source of informatiun down, one has to say something and maynot say the right thing.

AYRES: There's a formula called "No comment"! [Laughter]
UPTON: A group of power industry executives and engineers were
being flown over the Wind Scale plant and were being briefed by a
guide on the wonders of nuclear power, As they crossed the plant in
the airplane and he pointed out various installations on the ground, the
accident occurred anda big black plume went up out of the stack,

naw

if we were to release this information, even though it would be perhaps of use tothe enemy, we would be getting ahead faster and gain
more by the release than we gain by the protection, This is my personal opinion which I throw out for nobody else's use.

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