Evening star., 1941-02-06
Scientists Told.
Of 100 Defense
Research Jobs
Potent Protection
Is Main Problem,
Educators Hear

Educators Hear
One hundred scientific research
projects already are under way in
an effort to improve this country's
defense strength, Karl T. Compton,
president of Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and member of the
National Defense Research Com
mittee, said here today.
He addressed the National Con-
ference of Defense Committees of
Colleges and Universities, attended
by 500 educators from Al States and
the District.
Mr.. Compton told the conference,
meeting at the Mayflower Hotel,
that the main problem in the con-
tract for research projects has been
obtaining satisfactory patent pro-
lection. In the work being done,
ne emphasized, the Government nat
urally must be protected, since it is
financing the work and has greatest
need for whatever inventions prove
to be of value. Care must also be
exercised to see that no individuals
get rich out of work done in these
defense enterprises, he explained.
And finally precautions must be
taken so that private concerns whose
scientists serve as voluntary helpers
do not suffer great financial loss
through development of new tech
niques that make present methods,
on which they have spent thousands
of dollars, completely valuelesS.
Each Expert Investigated.
IN early stages of the research
work which began shortly after Mr.
Compton's committee was formed
last summer, he said there was
some difficulty getting prompt in
vestigations of experts selected to
do the work. Each one is carefully
investigated by military and naval
intelligence services and frequently
by the Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation, he added AS an example
of the caution taken, Mr.. Compton
cited the case of one research eX-
pert who was rejected because of an
investigators report that "his wife
Is too talkat tive"
The presiding officer, Isaiah Bow
man, president of Johns Hopkins
University, admonished the edu-
Gators to take a firm stand that
other phases of defense shall not be
neglected in the provision of young
men for military training. He quoted
figures to show that American uni
versities and colleges are scarcely
producing enough physicians. engi-
neers and pharmacists each year to
meet peace-time needs.
I'VE are heading for disaster If
We keep our eyes exclusively on the
soldier side of defense" he asserted.
According to Mr.. Bowman, the
Nations $50 engineering schools turn
out $4,000 graduates annually, its 10
medical colleges produce only 5000
young doctors each year, and its 6S
schools of pharmacy (of which 10
are not accredited) graduate only
l,700 annually-just about half
enough pharmacists to meet ordi-
nary peace-time requirements.
McNutt Hits Money Optimism.
Asserting that institutions OF
higher learning are much better
prepared to aid on national defense
than they were during the first
World War, Paul v. McNutt, Federal
security administrator and CO.
ordinator of health and welfare, told
the conference that nearly 100000
young persons have been trained in
the Nations colleges and schools in
the last nine months. This figure,
he said, is nearly 10 times the total
that could be trained in similar in
stitutions in the entire first World
War.
Mr.. McNutt said that there was
too much optimism in many quar-
tiers regarding the amounts of Fed
eral money that would be made
available to various localities and
private agencies.
"Our attention and our funds" :"
he said, will have to be devoted to
those points where there is proven
ability to perform unique service.
Your planning ca nhelp to tell us
where these points are. Federal
funds can most assuredly not be
used to pump life into organiza-
tions, institutions and ideas that
never before have had the power
of life"
Others Are Heard.
Other speakers during the morn
ing were Frederick Osborn, chair
man of the Presidents Advisory
Committee on Selective Service and
the War Department Committee on
Education, Recreation and Com
nlunity Service; Brig. Gen. Lewis
B. Hershey, executive officer of the
National Selective Service System,
and Francis J. Brown, executive
secretary of the conferences Sub
committee on Military Affairs.
Gen. Hershey told the conference
that there must be, for the good
of the country and for the good of
the colleges, a large representation
from college personnel" in the de-
fense forces at all times, and that
short cuts in education and intensifi-
cation of training may be required.
He said that every care must be
exercised to prevent a condition IN
which the personnel of colleges
would appear to the general public
as a group which had special privi-
leges.
The afternoon was devoted to a
number of sectional meetings on
special defense problems. The con-
ference is to conclude tonight with
q general session to be addressed
by John D. Biggers, director of pro-
duction of the Office Of Production
Management.