Zucker’s Article Protested

Most of the opinions expressed by A. Zucker in his article “A Physicist’s Holiday” (Physics Today, January, 1951) seem to me and to most of my Italian colleagues very personal, and anyhow very different from ours. I do not wish to enter into all details, as that would need an article as long as his, which does not seem to me to be worth while. But the point which I feel obliged to answer is the opinion attributed to Italian physicists with regard to the constitution of a European laboratory. Such a proposal, put forward by the American delegation at the 1950 UNESCO assembly in Florence, was received with very great interest. I should almost say enthusiam, by the great majority of Italian physicists, who in all meetings whether national or international held for this purpose have always been extremely desirous to contribute actively to the construction and the functioning of such an organization. No anxiety exists among Italian physicists, but on the contrary a lively desire to callaborate in this field of scientific activity, as in every other field, with their colleagues and friends of other countries, and in particular with the French, who on their part are not less intersted and desirous to collaborate with us.

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