Evening star., 1953-04-05
ScienceGrou
Blasts Weeks
On Astin Firing
Dismissal Called
III-Advised';; Full
Inquiry Proposed
By james E. Roper

Scientists last night ripped into
Secretary of Commerce Weeks
for the "ill-advised" firing of
DR.. Allen v. Astin as director of
the Bureau of Standards.
Resentment and apprehen-
sion have been aroused" the
federation said, mot only by the
injustice done a respected COL
league, but by the shadow
thrown on the working relation
ship between science and Gov
ernment.
1.-THE entire matter of DR..
Astin's dismissal should be fully
and publicly investigated-the
administrative aspects by the
appropriate committees of Con-
gress. and the technical aspects
by committee to be recon-
mended by the National Acad-
emy of Sciences. Nothing short
of complete public airing of the
facts and issues can lead to de-
cisions which will repair the
grave damage DONE"
Resignation Forced.
Secretary Weeks has an
nounced he forced DR.. Astin's
resignation because of bureau
report against a commercial bat
terry additive and for other rea-
sons. But last night Commerce
officials clearly regretted the way
the whole affair has been
handled.
Secretary Weeks explanation
to the Senate Small Business
Committee on Tuesday reflected
on the integrity of DR.. Astin and
the Bureau of Standards. But
now the word is that DR.. Astin
was dismissed not so much be-
cause of the battery dispute. but
because the new Republican re-
gime wanted its own man at the
head of the Bureau of Standards.
This is regarded as primarily a
job in the field of administration
rather than the field of science,
where DR.. Astin has worked for
more than two decades.
Using the battery dispute as an
excuse to kick out DR.. Astin is
now regarded in some official
quarters as a public relations
error that would not have been
committed by a veteran cabinet
member. The Bureau of Stand
ards refused to indorse a COM
mercially- y-manufactured chem
ical sold under the trade name
AD-X2. This is intended to pro-
long the life of storage batteries.
Effectiveness Disputed.
Secretary Weeks said the addi-
tive was effective, and the Bureau
of Standards was wrong in with
holding an Endorsement. Out
went DR.. Astin with Secretary
Weeks saying the bureau "has
not been sufficiently objective in
testing the chemical.
This, plus any suggestion that
the head of the Bureau of Stand
ards should change with political
administrations. helped arouse
the Federation of American
Scientists, national group
headed by DR.. Jules Halpern,
physics professor at the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania. The Fedora
tion's executive committee issued
this statement:
Scientists both in and out
of Cover ment have been
shocked by the abrupt and ILL
considered dismissal by Secre-
tary of Commerce Weeks of DR..
A. V. Astin, director of the
National Bureau of Standards.
Resentment and apprehension
have been aroused not only by
the injustice done a respected
colleague, but by the shadow
thrown on the working relation
ship between science and Gov
ernment.
Science, like business or any
other component of the Nation,
has a major contribution of it's
own to make to the public well
fare. It's legitimate role and re-
sponsibility cannot be subor-
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