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.cb "STANFORD UNIVERSITY, STANFORD CALIFORNIA"
.CB "{DATE}"
Dear Colleague:

	We hope you will sign the enclosed scientists' and engineers'
statement   opposing   Proposition  15.      In  the   main,   it  is
self-explanatory, but if you want more information, we  recommend the
readings listed  at the bottom  of the  page.  Please  don't postpone
your decision  too long, because we need your response in time for an
ad aimed at influencing the election.

	Many scientists and  engineers prefer to  postpone committing
themselves on controversial  issues.  Unfortunately, there is no more
time, and the people of California must make a major decision on June
8 on the basis  of the information then available.  There is
tremendous  confusion - even as  to whether Proposition  15 is for or
against nuclear energy -  and it is the responsibility  of scientists
to  use their  training  to evaluate  the  issues and  to advise  the
public.

	Nor would  passage of  the initiative  merely postpone a  few
projects  giving more time  for research.
In our opinion, no utility  in California
will be able to put a  dime of its customers' money into new  nuclear
projects or research until the legal battles raised by the initiative
have gone all the way to the Supreme Court which may take many years.
Besides the requirement  of a  two-thirds vote of  each house of  the
Legislature,  there  can  be  endless  litigation about  whether  the
statutory requirements of the initiative have been fulfilled.

	Additional  signatures are  welcome, but  we need  the
signatures by May  10, so if you decide to sign the statement, please
try to get it to Professor Connolly by that date.

Sincerely yours,

.indent 10
Holt Ashley, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Felix Bloch, Professor of Physics

Thomas Connolly, Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Robert Hofstadter, Professor of Physics

John McCarthy, Professor of Computer Science

.indent 0
Readings:

.indent 5
	1. The Necessity of Fission Power - Hans Bethe,
%2Scientific American%1, January 1976

	2. %2The California Nuclear Initiative - Analysis and discussion
of the issues%1 - Stanford University Institute for Energy Studies.

	3. %2Nuclear Science and Society%1 - Bernard L. Cohen, Anchor Books.

.indent 0
.bb We will also be glad to answer questions.