Evening star., 1942-08-01
Secret Naval Weapon
Focuses Attention on
titt|e-known 0SRD
Scientific Broins at
Work Constantly on
Inventine for Victory
BY ALEXANDER r. GEORGE.
Wide World

BY ALEXANDER r. GEORGE,
Wide World.
The Navy's new mystery weapon
mentioned recently by Representa-.
tive Vinson, may or may not have
been developed by the OSRD, but
that little known four-letter agency
represents the mightiest mobiliza :
ton OF scientific brains to help win
the war in the Nations history.
Under the aegls of the Once of
Scientific Research and Develop
ment, thousands of scientists work
secretly in college and industrial
laboratories throughout the coun-
try on new weapons and devices for
the Navy and the Army.
Generalissimo Of this army of
scientists is DR.. Vannevar Bush
president of the Carnegie Institu-
ton and long noted electrical en-
gineer and mathematician. Dr.
Bush, an amiable homespun Yankee
with rustic draWl, says about 100
devices and formulas which have
gone through OSRD research have
been accepted by the Army and
Navy and put into production.
Developed Amphibious Jeep.
While the specific nature of vir-
tually all of these developments is a
rigidly guarded secret, one disclosed
product of OSRD is the Armys new
amphibious jeep. The idea OF a
'sea-going jeep" is not new. but i'm
provements in its design by the
OSRD eliminated mechanical diff
f1culties which made previous mod
els impracticable.
!. The OSRD has two main
branches. the National Defense Re-
search Committee and the Com
nittee on Medical Research. The
former is split into four principal
divisions dealing with % armor
and ordnance, ca chemical prob
lens, 90 communications and
transportation and a. detectors.
-, Incidentally, Dr. Bush was a spe-
cialist in submarine detection as
long ago as World War I. While at
Massachusetts, Institute Of Tech
nology. where he was dean OF en-
gineering, he built famous differ
enttal analyzer. It's mathematical
robot which solves complex equa-
tons In a short time.
740 Scientists.
Under the four divisions of the
Defense Research Committee are
some go sections, each devoting all
OF its time to one particular sub
ject. For example, one section
works on Projectors for use in anti
aircraft fire. Others can be as
suned to handle such problems as
super-explosives, tough armor plate,
high precision instruments and
gadgets for aircraft, tanks, artillery
and warships.
Each section has haison otficers
from the Army and Navy. as well
as scientists and engineers from
civilian ranks, who are specialists
on q particular problem.
Some 740 scientists physicists,
chemists, engineers. metallurgists
and even astronomers - work for
OSRD without compensation. II
also has nearly TOO contracts for re-
search jobs with "a colleges and uni
versities and 900 such contracts with
industrial establishments. A.
The Committee on Medical Re-
search, headed by DR.. A. N. Rich
ards, of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, makes special studies for the
Army and Navy on methods Of COM
batting soldier sickness and OF treat
ing war wounds. It is searching,
for example. for an effective pro-
phylactic against malaria.
It is also studying ways OF re-
lieving the fatigue of aviators. To
combat fatigue. the Germans have
been using substance called per-
vitin, which is a modification of
benzedrine. American investiga-
tors are working on that and other
substances.
A committee appointed by Sec
fetary Of War Stimson brings the
high command into close contact
with the countrys brains. DR.. Bush
Is chairman of the committee and
the other members are Brig. Gen.
Raymond G.. Moses of the Army
general staff and Rear Admiral
Willis A. Lee, assistant chief of staff
OF the chief Of naval operations.
Among other big leaguers" in
OSRD are DR.. Karl T. Compton.
president Of M. I. T.; DR.. James B.
Conant, president of Harvard Uni
versity; DR.. Frank B. Jewett, presi-
don't Of the National Academy of
Sciences, and DR.. Richard Tolan of
California Tech.