Evening star., 1940-06-19
Teamwork Can Make
u. 5. |nvincib|e, Says
Defense Researcher
Dr.. Bush Says We Gould
Cut Rings Around Any
Nation on Eurth'

Given proper coordination of her
scientific and industrial resources,
the United States, in the opinion of
the head of the Presidents new
National Defense Research Com
mittee, could cut rings around any
nation on earth"
Discussing plans for unifying the
work Of the countrys inventors.
technicians and research workers,
DR.. Vannevar Bush, president of the
Carnegie Institution of Washington,
told a press conference today that
much preliminary work already has
been done by committee whose
personnel is yet incomplete.
Scientists and laymen alike have
offered aid to the new committee. the
chairman said, and several hundred
suggestions have been received from
persons with inventions and ideas to
pool for national defense.
DR.. Bush expressed the opinion
that the coordination of industrial
resources with the Army and Navy
would give us defense backed by
the worlds finest technical and
scientific devices.
Those on the Committee.
The new committee, as constituted
to date, consists of DR.. Bush, as
chairman; Commissioner Conway P.
Coe, of the Patent Office, represent
ing the Department of Commerce:
DR.. Frank B. JeWett, president of
the National Academy of Sciences
DR.. James B. Conant, president of
Harvard University; DR.. Karl T.
Compton, president of the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology
and Dr. Richard C. Tolman of the
California Institute of Technology.
The Army and Navy representa-
tives soon will be appointed, DR..
Bush said. Meanwhile, the Presi-
dent has instructed that the COM
mittee is to have the cooperation
OF the Bureau of Standards, the
National Academy of Sciences and
the National Research Council.
The broad objective of the COM
mittee, DR.. Bush said, is Ito ar
range with research laboratories in
scientific and educational institu-
tions and in industry for study and
experimental investigation to accel-
crate the creation or improvement
of instrumentalities for national de-
fense"
To Concentrate on Defense.
DR.. Bush said the committee
would concentrate on defense meas
ures, while admitting-in view of the
military principle that good Of
fense is the best defense"- that it
was hard to draw the line.
The committee, il was said, will
supplement but not replace the
work already carried on by the
Army, Navy and other governmental
agencies. Problems of fight, it was
pointed out, are still the concern
of the National Advisory Council on
Aeronautics
Plans have been made at informal
sessions for cooperative projects
with educational institutions, in
dustrial laboratories and research
groups, and the coordination of this
work with that of the Army and
Navy and various Government
agencies.
Consideration will be given the
ideas or suggestions of all persons
interested in building up national
defense. In the World War, it was
said. the work of co-ordinat ting such
material was begun late, although
as many as 1000 suggestions were
received weekly.
DR.. Bush expressed qualification
at the enthusiastic response from
scientists and engineers all over the
country to the work of the new
committee
Censorship.
The committee will receive de-
fense requirements from the Army
and Navy and assign them for re-
search or improvement to agencies
best suited to the particular prob
lem, DR.. Bush said
Asked if the committee would
recommend that scientific journals
be censored to prevent useful MAJ
terial from becoming the property
of alines, Dr. Bush said the sup
preston of such reports might be
greater disadvantage through its
loss to research workers in many
fields.
Many of the country's scientific
institutions, however. are mailing
research reports only to closely
scanned lists of persons who can
be relied upon not to let the reports
fall into other hands.
The committee will call its first
formal meeting in the near future