As I have now been in Berkeley a month I thought you might be
interested in my impressions of my new field of activities. [1]
Naturally I can only speak first hand of the small sector of this
tremendous project with which I am particularly concerned, but I
have also had the opportunity of discussing matters generally with
some of the people who have a wider perspective of the project and
knowing the difficult nature of the decisions you are called on to
make in Australia, I thought perhaps other impressions apart from
those you have already heard might help. In the first place, what
I have seen and heard convinces me that Oliphant was not over-
enthusiastic in his earlier assessments of the position to you.

There is no doubt of the stupendous implications of the work and
of the fact that it will in time be successful.

I know the point that interests you most is whether it will be
successful sufficiently soon to have any bearing on the present
war. Naturally it so happens that the answer to this question is
one of the things that is most secret in the whole project. My own
impression (it can only be an impression) is that there is a very
real chance of something being accomplished in this direction
unless the war proves of shorter duration than any of us at the
present moment has any right to hope. I can completely discount
any suggestion such as I heard made in Australia that the whole
business was set-up to utilize people for whom it was difficult to
find other positions. It is certainly no 'rest-home for
physicists' as, on the whole, the scientific personnel work harder
here than I have ever seen them work anywhere else.

My own feeling is that this project is very important for the
future of Australia and the present time is a golden opportunity
to get knowledge of the techniques that, it seems, will prove
vital for the future of the country. In my opinion there are in
Australia several people who have had the right type of training
that would make them suitable to pick up the various techniques
involved and would enable them to make a significant contribution
to the work. in addition to the obvious names of Martin [2] and
Webster [3], such names as Hill [4] and Corben [5] of Melbourne,
or of Makinson [6] of Sydney, suggest themselves.

Well I hope you don't think it presumptuous of me to write in this
fashion. I understand only too well the conflicting claims that
are being made for Australian scientific manpower and the
difficulties with which you are faced in deciding between them. If
the opportunity ever should arise however to send any or several
of these people I feel certain it would be in the ultimate
interests of the country.

With regard to myself personally, I can say that I do not regret
the decision to send me across. I am working particularly with
Massey [7], with whom I have worked a good deal in the past and I
am finding our own particular aspect most interesting.

[matter omitted]

E. H. S. BURHOP