Evening star., 1943-06-24

tranSmltter. Mr.. Page had to trans.
form that lead pencil operation into
an adding machine calculation that
could be performed at split second
speed.
Moreover, fixed antennae of the
kind experimental with we're no good
on a ship; they had to move as
well as be compact, since ship is
subject to attack from any quarter.
During the time he was working
on these Radar problems, Mr.. Page
also was compelled by urgent Navy
request for emergency research to
work on 10 other experiments which
had nothing to do with Radar
But I would always steal him of
those other projects and tell him to
put all the time he could on Ra-
dar.' says DR.. Albert Hoyt Taylor,
now chief Navy physicist.
First Set Not Success.
These complications and Mr..
Pages thoroughgoing work stretched
out Radar development considerably.
But his perseverance resulted in the
production of one set, a sort of hay
wire rig of wood and metal, wires
and coils and tubes-a typical ex-
perimental job-and while it got
/ limited results, he did not consider
! 1t successful.
1t was a step forward, however
and one which Mr.. Taylor had inn
PEELED Mr.. Page to take. The older
scientist figured the time had come
! %
day he told Mr.. Page, Produce
something in six months or we'll
drop the project"
The mere thought chilled Mr. Page
to the heart, All his work would be
lost. He got busy and made the
first set in five months
When Mr.. Taylor told about the
incident recently in Mr.. Pages pres
ence. he grinned and said, "Of
course, never really meant to drop
| it."
But it still was not very funny to
Mr.. Page. L certainly thought you
meant it," he said
Spotted Planes Five Miles.
1t was plain to see that the mere
thought of not completing Radar
still was frightening. And that, in
a broad sense, is and was true not
only of Mr.. Page, but of every other
/ scientist at the Naval Research Lab
oratory who for 10 to 20 years had
realized the critical Importance of
the instrument.
When Mr.. Pages second set. his
first conclusive Radar production.
was finished and put into opera
ton, it gave satisfactory results at
long range" which is to say that it
detected random airplanes to max
imum distance of five miles.
1t was a great moment, a peak
in science for all of them at the
laboratory when the first pulse came
flashing back from that machine.
Some timeslater Mr.. Page and Mr.
Guthrie completed third set-their
second successful one-and when 1t
was shooting pulses down the Po-
tomac river, they could detect planes
above the Naval Proving Ground at
Dahlgren, Va, 40 miles from Wash
ington.
Radar by this time was acquiring
some powerful champions within the
Navy itself.
Researchers Lacked MOned
One who later became director of
the laboratory after tour of duty
as chief of the Bureau of Engineer
ing was Rear Admiral Harold G.
Bowen. Another, who preceded
Bowen at the laboratory by several
years, was Capt. H. R. Greenlee.
In 1885 Radar work was badly
short of funds. Capt. Greenlee and
DR.. Taylor went to work on Repre-
sentative (now SENATOR Scrugham,
Nevada Democrat, who then was the
dominant figure and later chair
man of the House Naval Appropria-
tions Subcommittee.
They first discussed the matter
briefly and informally with Senator
Scrugham at dinner party, and he
appeared not deeply concerned. The
following Sunday, Capt. Greenlee.
DR.. Taylor and another scientist
from the laboratory cornered the
Nevadan in his Capitol Office and
discussed their needs in as much de-
tdll DO CllCN udlG Gu dIlu
any way disclosing even that they
were working on radio detection.
Jim Scrugham listened impassively
and bade them good-by without
committing himself.
1--WE thought we had failed in our
mission" DR.. Taylor recalls. But
next morning Jim called and said
we would get the money"
Got Appropriation.
Senator Scrugham was a trained
engineer and a man accustomed to
deal with technicians and scientists.
Even without getting more than a
superficial look at NRLs work, he
sensed that something of consider
able Importance was afoot. Through
Senator Scrugham's work primarily,
the laboratory got its first $4,000
from Congress for long-range re-
search.
Capt. Greenlee's successor 1t the