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david irving Secretly Overheard:
The prospect of getting funds from the British for resuming atomic
research receded with each day. “For the sake of the money,” said
Bagge on July 21, “I should like to work on the Uranmaschine.”
Diebner agreed: “This is the chance to earn a living.”
“Well Diebner,” said Korsching, half seriously, “we’ll both go to
the Argentine.”
“I think we should approach the Argentinian ambassador,”
suggested Bagge. Korsching warned that the British and Americans
would scotch that whole idea too.
“Then I go to [the University of] La Plata,” suggested Bagge,
“and if I get the job as an assistant, let us say, that would not be bad
at all.”
They day-dreamed in silence for a while. “Actually,” Korsching
then said, “I find it quite possible that Heisenberg really continues
to work on the Uranmaschine; in the end several really productive
ideas will have been contributed by all sorts of people, but people
will say in the end, ’It has been Heisenberg’s work.’”
Diebner left the room, and Korsching persisted to Bagge: “If
you work together with Heisenberg on a Uranmaschine then you
can write off your share.” He described how, during the interrogations
by Goudsmit at Hechingen, Wirtz had played down the contribution
of his assistants Robert Döpel and E. Fischer. “A scientist
is asked,” explaine Korsching in disgust, “‘What have you thought
out, where is your idea?’ If you then make the strategic mistake of
moving in the shadow of a man who is already world famous” – a
reference to Heisenberg – “then you are out of the limelight for the
rest of your life. And if you then raise your voice against that, then
on top of it you will be called a troublemaker.”
“Did you notice how Heisenberg wiped the floor with Weizsäcker?”
chuckled Bagge, changing the subject.
“And how!” said Korsching. “I rubbed my hands with glee. It
is of course very degrading that he (Weizsäcker) cannot even do a
few simple calculations.” “If Weizsäcker does not now try hard,” he
added, “to write down a few more formulae, then he is squashed
altogether. I think it serves him right, for Weizsäcker has unlim-
this is a copyright manuscript © david irving 2007