Editing Smyth Report (section)

== Publication ==
A thousand copies of the report were printed by [[lithography]] at [[the Pentagon]],{{sfn|Jones|1985|pp=560–561}} and deposited in Groves's office in the [[Harry S Truman Building|New War Department Building]] in Washington, D.C., where they were kept securely locked away.{{sfn | Groves |1962 | pp = 27–28, 351}} Final approval was sought from the [[President of the United States|President]], [[Harry S. Truman]], in a meeting at the [[White House]] on August 9, 1945, three days after the [[bombing of Hiroshima]]. Stimson, Harrison, Groves, Conant, [[Vannevar Bush]], and [[Fleet Admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[William D. Leahy]] presented their views, and Truman authorized the immediate release of the report.{{sfn|Jones| 1985 | pp = 560–561}} The [[United States Department of War|War Department]] released the thousand copies of the report that had been kept in Groves's office to the media for use by the radio broadcasters with an embargo time of 9:00 pm on August 11, 1945, and for the newspapers of August 12.{{sfn |Groves|1962|p = 351}}

[[File:Smyth Report cover Atomic Bombs.jpg|thumb|The original cover of the lithograph edition of the Smyth Report, with the red title stamp. This is the copy in the Rare Books and Special Collections Division of the [[Library of Congress]].]]
The original title of the report, before it was published in book form, was ''Nuclear Bombs: A General Account of the Development of Methods of Using Nuclear Energy for Military Purposes Under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940–1945''. The word "nuclear" was changed to "atomic" because while the former was favored by physicists, it was not in common use by the general public at that time. This was the title used on the copyright certificate. The book was copyrighted to Smyth but issued with the statement that "reproduction in whole or in part is authorized and permitted". Groves had the report copyrighted by Smyth in order to prevent someone else from copyrighting it.{{sfn |Smyth|1976|pp = 183–185}}

Groves was concerned about the security implications of the title, so instead of having "Atomic Bombs" on the cover, it was left blank, and a [[rubber stamp]] was made. The intention was for this to be used on each copy before it was distributed. This was done for the copyright deposit copies, but not those given to the press or the public. The lumbering subtitle therefore became the title. A side effect of this was that it became generally known as the "Smyth Report".{{sfn | Smyth |1976|pp= 183–185}} Over the years, the term "nuclear" gradually gained traction, and by 1960 it had become more common than "atomic".{{sfn| Wellerstein | 2012a}}

In mid-1945, Smyth approached Datus C. Smith, the director of [[Princeton University Press]], about the possibility of renting his printing plant to the government during a two-week summer shutdown so that Smyth could produce 5,000 copies of a top secret report. Smith's response was that he found it hard to imagine anyone needing to print 5,000 copies of a top secret report. He found it much easier to imagine delays due to unexpected printing problems, and his workers returning from summer vacation to find themselves locked out of a plant filled with top secret material. Under the circumstances, he felt that he could not risk this.{{sfn|Smith|1976|pp=191–192}}

After the Smyth Report was officially released, Smith immediately offered to publish it. Smyth patiently explained that anyone was free to publish it, but Princeton University Press was only willing to do so on the understanding that this would be "Smyth's edition". Meanwhile, Smyth approached [[McGraw Hill Education|McGraw-Hill]] about publishing it. The editors at McGraw-Hill found the manuscript dull and somewhat technical for a general audience and suggested a rewrite. Smyth balked at this, as it would have meant going through the censorship process again. James S. Thompson, the president of McGraw-Hill, pointed out the [[U.S. Government Printing Office]] would be putting out an edition, probably more cheaply than he could, and there would likely be little profit in a McGraw-Hill edition. Smyth then turned back to Princeton University Press. He had only one condition: that he receive no royalties. Princeton University Press agreed, but added a stipulation of its own: that Groves's approval be secured. Smyth obtained this in a letter dated August 25, 1945.{{sfn | Smyth | 1976 |pp = 187–188, 192–194}}

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Smyth Report 1945.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Frontispiece of the Smyth Report]] -->
Princeton University Press received a copy of the typescript lithograph edition with hand corrections from Smyth on August 17, 1945. The [[typographer]]s had already started work from another copy. Maple Press of [[York, Pennsylvania]], was lined up to do the printing. Because of wartime shortages, one of a publisher's biggest worries was finding adequate supplies of paper. Smith approached Manny and Leonard Relles from Central Paper, told them about the Smyth Report and its significance, and asked them if they could deliver {{convert |30|ST}} of paper to Maple Press in twelve days. They found a [[Goods wagon|carload]] of paper on a [[Siding (rail)|siding]] in New England and sent it to York, providing enough paper for 30,000 copies, only half what Princeton University Press wanted.  The first edition of 30,000 copies was printing when word was received that paper had been found for another 30,000 copies. The presses were held for three hours while the train made its way to a siding in York, where the paper was unloaded and brought to the printing plant by trucks.{{sfn | Smith |1976|pp= 195–196}}

There were minor differences between the original text and the version published by Princeton. In the Princeton publication, first and middle names were added instead of the previous use of abbreviations. In response to public concerns about radioactivity, Groves had text added to paragraph 12.18 explaining how the height of the explosions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki reduced [[fallout]] and allowed [[fission products]] to be drawn up into the upper atmosphere.{{sfn | Groves |1962|pp = 351–352}} He also had a one-sentence allusion to a [[neutron poison|poisoning effect]] of fission products in the production reactors redacted.{{sfn|Rhodes | 1995 |pp= 215–216}}

Later editions also incorporated changes. Four typographical errors were found, and the word "[[photon]]" in paragraph 1.44 aroused so much correspondence from readers who mistakenly believed that it should be "[[proton]]" that it was decided to re-word the paragraph.{{sfn| Smith |1976|pp= 195–196}}  The British government became concerned that the Smyth Report did not cover the British part in the project, and issued its own 40-page report, which was incorporated into the fifth printing in November 1945 as Appendix 7. A two-page report by the Canadian government was added as Appendix 8.{{sfn|Coleman | 1976 |p= 208}}

The Smyth Report was translated into over 40 different languages.{{sfn | Smith |1976|p=199}} In addition to Princeton University Press, it was also published by the Government Printing Office, the ''Infantry Journal'', and [[His Majesty's Stationery Office]], and was reprinted in the October 1945 issue of ''[[Reviews of Modern Physics]]''.{{sfn | Coleman |1976|pp= 208–211}}