618
PARTISAN REVIEW
the wrong reasons. But this would have to be proved, and it is
never proved in the record. We can be sure that, had it been, the
Atomic Energy Commission would not have dropped this aspect of
the case from its final decision. We remember, indeed, that even the
Gray Board was able only to affirm the nature of Dr. Oppenheimer's
opinions in this area and disapprove of Dr. Oppenheimer for holding
them. While the Gray report leaves the impression that perhaps
there was a tie between Dr. Oppenheimer's Communist past and
his dissident scientific-military views, it does not even describe, let
alone prove, a connection.
Thus the case against Dr. Oppenheimer's fitness for clearance
which, it seems indicated, was reopened by the Atomic Energy Com–
mission because of the fact and personal-professional consequences of
his opposition to the H-bomb was closed by the Atomic Energy
Commission on wholly other ground.
It
was closed on the ground
only of Dr. Oppenheimer's character, discretion and associations. 'rVe
must turn, therefore, to what in point of evidential emphasis is so
minor a part of the record but what is so major a part in point of
the resolution of Dr. Oppenheimer's case, the items upon which
the Commission finally rested its decision not to grant clearance to
Dr. Oppenheimer.
II
While it was no surprise to the educated American public
that Dr. Oppenheimer had at some time in his past, and perhaps even
into the period of his highly sensitive government employment, been
a fellow-traveler of the Communist Party, the publication of Mr.
Nichols' letter of notification in the newspapers-it was of course
released to the public by the defense-came as a considerable shock
in even the most knowing anti-Communist liberal circles because
of its disclosure of the apparent extent of Dr. Oppenheimer's Com–
munist involvement. There was great force simply in the number
of suggestive items mentioned in the Commission's notice. This first
blow was much softened, however, by Dr. Oppenheimer's reply to
Mr. Nichols, released to the public at the same time. To the sophisti–
cated eye, Dr. Oppenheimer's autobiographical letter, with its careful
account of his movement from an extreme of naivete to political
