Some recent work by E. Fermi and L. Szilard, which has been communicated to me in manuscript, leads me to expect that the element uranium may be turned into a new and important source of energy in the immediate future. Certain aspects of the situation which has arisen seem to call for watchfulness and, if necessary, quick action on the part of the Administration.
From a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, August 2, 1939, resulting in the appropriation of government funds for the development of the atomic bomb; the letter was composed by Leo Szilard and signed by Einstein; Einstein Archive 33-088; full text reprinted in Clark, Einstein, pp. 556-557
The Quotable Einstein, compiled by Alice Calaprice
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