Evening star., 1947-07-07

(Condensed from recent issue OF the Army
Information Digest, the tollototng statement is
of interest not merely to military personnel
but also to the public at Iarge.)
The supreme lesson of World War II is that
scientific research and development hold the
key to military strength and national security.
A startling flood of valuable and ingenious
devices-'black light" radar, proximity fuzes,
Jet propulsion, and finally atomic bombs-was
made possible by an intensive mobilization of
science and industry during the emergency.
Such a zero-hour effort cannot be expected to
save us again.
All those inventions grew from research per-
formed years before Pearl Harbor; but this
research had not been integrated with mill
tary planning 1t took war emergency to
accomplish that. 1t must not happen again.
In our peacetime planning for national Sc
curity, the research Of science and industry
must be closely interviewer with military re-
search and development {. {. Co ordination and
guidance at the top planning level are
vital necessity.
To meet this need, the Research and Devel-
opment Division Of the War Department Gen.
eral Staf1 was born, one year ago, to provide
for overall planning in military research {.
Here, every avenue is explored for the fullest
possible use of the Nations brains and skill in
insuring national security; for the develop
ment Of human and mechanical means that
will enable us, with lowest cost in lives and
time, to reach the ultimate objective-success
in battle. No aspect of the soldiers life will
be exempt.
We are not only interested in the best
weapons, materiel, and counter-measures that
can be developed; we are also concerned with
intensive research into the day-to-day life OF
the individual soldier-his food, clothing, re-
creation, and morale in all possible situations.
And always we must recognize the economic.
political, sociological, and industrial implica-
tions.
In all our plans and missions, we are assum-
ing that no existing arms, equipment, or tech
niQues are entirely satisfactory. On the other
hand, our Investigation is not skipping over
basic arms and equipment on the assumption
that they are going to be obsolete. push
button" wars may be possibility, in the dis
tant future. While recognizing such posi-
bility, we are mainly concerned with perfecting
and expanding the present means OF waglng
war-means that would be used if war broke
out tomorrow, and means that probably will
still be used extensively many years from now.
Whatever fantastic scientific Development
uidy COAAe, SVAA AAAoW VAAo" ""A" WAL wv
fought by men; and the men who are best
trained, armed, and equipped will win those
wars.
Bringing Civilians Into Service.
A keystone of research and development
plans is the wide use of civilian talents and
facilities. In the field of pure research, we
will utilize educational institutions and in.
dustrial laboratories in preference to doing the
work within the War Department. In addition,
civilian experts will be employed to work di-
rectly with the War Department.. At the top
level, for example, as civilian deputy director
OF the division, is DR.. Cloyd H. Marvin, presi-
dent of George Washington University. A
War Department research advisory panel COM
posed of outstanding civilian scientists, edu-
Gators, industrialists, and engineers represent
ing both the natural and the social sciences,
has also been established to collaborate with
division personnel in solving special planning
and technical problems. Ultimately, this panel
is expected to include 100 to $50 members.
Two dangerous shortages threaten future
scientific research and development in this
country shortage OF scientific personnel and
a depleted backlog of information. DR.. VAN
nevar Bush has estimated that $4,000 persons
who eventually would have earned PhD.s in
scientific fields were shunted, by war service,
into other fieles. Paucity OF new information
exists because, due to the urgency of war,
scientists exhausted the resources OF data pro-
vided by previous years Of research.
Our program will attempt to build up new