The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-17
LABORATORY
and SHOP David Ramsey

in so-called loans, and is spending
other billions for the construction
Of the largest and most deadly war
machine in the world.
THIS was to be expected from
l social system that kills workers
in order TO save a few pennies. It
is not interested in the great prob
lens that confront science, and
which can only be solved by large
scale research involving the CO.
operative efforts OF thousands Of
scientists and the expenditures Of
many hundreds of millions of dol
lars. For the sake Of its profits
and war aims. it is Systematically
Sitting all creative efforts that
cannot be turned into dividends or
instruments Of death and destruc-
ton.
Some technicians and scientists
may tend to blame this action Of
the administration on Roosevelt or
some other individual in the gov
eminent. They should remember
that it is impossible to really plan
research under capitalism. The
various groups Of capitalists could
never agree on what projects should
be tackled first. In addition they
would sabotage the work from the
start since they would be anxious
to keep the monopoly rights on
their secret patents and inventions.
The fundamental prerequisite to
the planning of scientific research
is society which puts the con-
sideration of humanity above the
interests Of parasitic coupon clip
pers. 1t is only a workers and
farmers government which can in
troduce social and economic plan
ming, and also plan the organiza-
ton Of scientific work. The example
of the Soviet Union proves this
conclusively. There science is ap-
piled in every field to build social
ism, and in turn the building Of
socialism is the material basis for
h planned reconstruction Of
science itself.
1t is ironical that the capitalists
who sabotage the advance of SCI
ence raise the DOGGY that socialism
means the j ca tn of scientific
thought. They claim that in the
Soviet Union the theoretical SCI
enlist is discouraged.
But the facts show that it is
under capitalism that theoretical
research is discouraged unless it
has the promise of bringing in quick
profits The Nazis as always are
the frankest about this matter.
They say bluntly that they are not
interested in theory, that they
want no relatively Jew like Elm
stein. Their science students must
specialize in all branches that have
a direct bearing on war All other
fields are non-Aryan, that is, they
cannot be used to kill people.
IN the Soviet Union, on the other
| hand, there is intensive work in
all fields. The workers realize that
all branches of science are inter-
related. To stifle certain phases
of science means eventually TO
destroy the basis for further SOL
entific progress. Consequently there
is no field of science which does
not receive large sums of money,
and in which remarkable headway
is not being made.
The scientists and technicians CT
America must demand that they be
given Jobs on scientific projects
that will benefit the workers, far
mers and the poor middle class
groups of the country. But in their
fight for jobs and economic security,
they should remember that the true
liberation of science from the fet-
tiers OF capitalism awaits the pro-
letarian revolution. In joining the
working class in this struggle to
overthrow capitalism, they are also
taking the only course that will
ensure intellectual freedom for
themselves and establish the foun-
dalton for boundless progress in
science.