Reactions to Hiroshima

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>The news of the use of the first atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagsaki on August 6 and 9, 1945 evoked a range of different meanings. In addition to the material form the two books by Paul Boyer contained in the reader, here are a few others:

President Harry Truman:

>President Harry Truman was on board the U.S. Augusta, returning from the Potsdown Conference in occupied Germany when he was told of the destruction of Hiroshima. The President told the ship's crew: "This is the greatest thing in history."

Polls:

>A poll taken on August 8, 1945 found that only 10% of population opposed the use of the bombs on Japanese cities; 85% approved.
>Another poll taken in September 1945 reported that 64% of Americans believed that atomic bomb had made war less likely.
>A December 1945 Fortune magazine poll asked whether Americans approved of their government's use of the atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
>53.5% approved what had been done.
>13.5% believed that there should have been a demonstration of the weapon's power at an isolated site before it was used against a city
>4.5% believed that the atomic bomb should not have been used at all.
>22.7% wished more atomic bombs had been dropped before Japan had an opportunity to surrender
>One woman reported: "I have no feeling of guilt whatever in the use of atomic bombs on Japan. I only regret that atomic bombs were not used to blast the four Jap islands into oblivion. There may be innocent women and children, but they only in my opinion breed moreof the same kind of soldiers to make us trouble in the future."
>The poll found that the welltodo and well educated respondents were less favorable towards the bombing, as were African-Americans regardless of their economic level.

http://www.indiana.edu/~futhist2/Part4/Wk12/reactions.htm

Really makes you think...