REF ID:A39368 

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Defense Dept. Called 

'Blind' to New Arms 

By Edward F. Ryan 

Post R.eDorter 

A leading weapons scientist is here to -stay whether we 

warned yesterday Defense De- think it is good or bad," said 

partment planners have a Dr. Berkner. "I believe the sup- "blind spot" that is jeOJ?ardizing port of research will benetU the -- -- - American s e- community. 

curity. "But it is our job to see that 

Dr. Lloyd V. Federal support of any part ot ·, B e r k n e r de- the academic system does not -clared that the encroach upon the freedom of 

D e f e n s e D e- thought and the scholarly search 

p a r t m e n t, for truth that is fundamental 

w h i I e c o m- both to teaching and to the 

petent to im- development, of new knowledge. 

prove existing "The problem that we face is 

weapons and to this: how can we retain the ad· 

e m p 1 o y new vantages of Federal support of 

ones of demon- research and education and still 

Berkner strated _ c a p a- avoid the dangers of Federal . _ - bility, "is singu- control and threats to academic 

Iarly blind to the need for radi· freedom. It is diversity of sup- cal weapons suited to the new port that guarantees the freekinds of threats that have dom of thought and the un- - changed the character of war." trammelled search for the truth. -Dr, Berkner, widely known "The dangers of Federal supamong Washington scientists port are greatly lessened when 

f<?r his ~rv!ce with the Carne- the funds are administered by g1~ Institution, the Navy, and a variety of Government agen- w1th other Government agen· cies. The most dangerous thing cie~, ·is _P~esident of '\ssociated that could happen would be a 

Umvers1ties, Inc., which oper- concentration of all Federal supates -the Brookhaven National port in any one agency , , .'; 

Laborato~y at Upton, N. ~··.for Dr. Berkner also sharply critithe :!tom1c Energy_Comm~s~1on. cized prevailing emphasis upon . _ His protest. against m1lltary secrecy in defense matters. "One - apathy to ~ad1cal new weapons can hardly understand the need 

was m11:de m a speech prepared for security with respect to a 

for dehvery to the seve~tJ:t an- specific weapon," he said, "but 

D;Ual .conference on a~min1stra- the present craze for secrecy tio~ of ~esearch, me~tmg _at tl~e goes far beyond this. 

Umvers1ty of Califorma in "It . b d h t d Berkeley. is a enou~ o ~ny 

Dr. Berkner said an-independ- to ou! own peop~e information 

ent agency with authority to that lS already lil the_ hands, 

develop new weapons to the not only of friei;tdly nations, 

demonstration s ta g e "might but o! those beh1~d the Iron 

save the Nation untold destruc- Curtam_as well. It is outrageous tion." to cover inaction and ~eakness 

- As things stand, lie said, the by secrecy when . disclosure 

Defense Department has "dicta- would le~d to public support torial power" in new-weapons of remedial measures. 

development, and devotes major "I view the mania for secrecy effort to weapons improvement not simply as a danger to aca-

"rather than toward the search demic freedom, but as a nafor those things that could pro- tional infection that is sapping foundly change our strategic our strength by concealing sec-

&ituation." ond-rate administration . · .. by 

"This tendency becomes ex- denying us the safeguards of _ traordinarily critical at a time swift progress that go with 

when we· are vulnerable to ter- freedom of · information; by .i'ibly destructive weapons," he subtly introducing Government 

declared. · control of new processes and -In-· proposing· a new research thereby undermining our sysagency for the development of tern of free enterprise; and, 

radical new w~apons, Dr. Berk- above all, by creating artificial 

J;It!l'. explained he was advancing barriers among men that stimihe · idea of "diversity of sup- ulat~ the feelings of mistrust 

port" for basic research. and hatred that are the seeds of 

"Federal support of research war."