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墨書 Inktalez
It was not surprising at all that Qian Xuesen, as a foreigner, could participate in classified military projects; he must have undergone a rigorous loyalty screening.
Such screenings began in 1944 and continued with several rounds in 1946 and 1947, resulting in a vast amount of documentation about him at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It could be said that before them, Qian Xuesen had no secrets left.
Time and again, Qian Xuesen passed the tests.
But let’s not forget, that was in the past!
By 1950, the world had completely changed:
First, the Soviet Union successfully detonated its first atomic bomb in August 1949, becoming the second country in the world to possess nuclear weapons after the United States, which immediately heightened tensions for the U.S.;
Second, the People's Republic of China was established in October 1949, forcing the U.S. ally Chiang Kai-shek's government to retreat to Taiwan, leaving the United States on edge;
Additionally, just in June 1950, the Korean War broke out.
As a result, the United States fell into a paranoid state of "Red Scare."
They began to hunt down Communists or pro-Communist individuals throughout the country. Better to mistakenly arrest three thousand than to let one slip through.
In such an atmosphere, Qian Xuesen, being Chinese and having access to highly classified military information, naturally became a focal point.
He had to undergo another round of stringent scrutiny, this time under a presumption of guilt.
The file on Qian Xuesen was brought out for careful examination once again. Under the scrutiny of a magnifying glass, they discovered a close relationship between a Communist group organizer, Weinbaum, and Qian Xuesen.
This revelation immediately caught the attention of military officials, the FBI, the CIA, and a host of people from the Department of Justice, who were thrilled at the prospect—
So, Qian Xuesen, you have finally been exposed.
On May 18, 1950, half a month before the FBI came knocking, the United States Army, Navy, and Air Force Personnel Security Bureau held a meeting to discuss two main issues:
First, should they order the California Institute of Technology to dismiss Qian Xuesen?
Second, should they remove Qian Xuesen from classified military projects?
The conclusion of the discussion was clear: the evidence at hand was insufficient to demand Qian Xuesen's suspension from the California Institute of Technology; however, restricting his access to classified projects was deemed necessary.
The reason was simple: he had become a member of what the Department of Justice identified as a subversive Communist organization and had shown sympathy towards them.
From that moment on, in the eyes of the United States, Qian Xuesen was already considered guilty.
Two weeks later, the machinery of persecution against Qian Xuesen began to rumble into action like an automatic engine.
To be fair, Qian Xuesen's plight was not an isolated case in that era. If he had chosen to endure in silence, it is likely that after four or five more years of waiting through the dark days of McCarthyism, he could have continued his life as a professor in the United States.
However, faced with suspicion and adversity, Qian Xuesen chose an unexpected response that took everyone by surprise.
In that moment, his circumstances and fate were sharply turned in a different direction.
After sending away the unwelcome guest, the FBI, Qian Xuesen sensed an ominous sign. He told his friend, "The hand of suspicion is reaching out for me."
But he never anticipated that things would deteriorate so quickly.
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