Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-05

duStriallStS DelleVe:
Q Incentives are inadequate.
. There is a lack of courage among
administrators to drop weapons
program once it proves unfeasible.
Incentives
Two kinds Of incentives are
mentioned, those for the scientists
and engineers and those for the tax
payers who pay the bills.
Unlike the Soviet Union. the
United States has largely failed to
recognize the personal. individual
contributions Of scientists and
engineers to national security and
advancement. Prestige. Of course.
is not something that already-busy
scientists and engineers brood over.
But it is extremely important in
attracting new talent.
Popular Support
Popular support for research
and development could be in
creased, industrialists believe. If the
competitive aspects of scientific
races were pore widely publicized.
Official secrecy, they say. keeps
entirely too much from the public
not only on science races between
the Soviet Union and the United
States, but on those between
friendly rival groups in this coun-
try.
For the most part, this is the old
complaint that the American peo-
pie are usually the last to know
about their own defense program.
No One, of course, advocates hand
ing the Soviet Union secret mate
rial it could not get in any other
way.
Specific information on how we
are doing in individual races with
the Soviet Union Is hard to ceme
by, of course. But the general out
lines are plain.
Public knowledge of the races
for the intercontinental and inter-
mediate-range ballistic missiles
has sharpened the American effort,
it is pointed out, and could have
stimulated it much earlier.
Security questions also compli-
cate the problem Of popularizing
races among scientific groups in
this country. Critics claim. how
ever, that much could be done
without telling the Soviet Union
more than it already knows.
For instance, the Nays achieve
ment of the jet-powered seaplane,
the Martin Ppm Seamaster, has no
doubt been tremendous stimulant
to the Air Force to build better
sea-based aircraft. The same two
services are racing now for a
method of nuclear propulsion for
aircraft-especially seaplanes. This
combination would remove two ex-
pensive requirements overseas
bases and refueling Systems-from
the taxpayers bill.
Another example: An Army Navy
team of scientists is racing with an
Air Force group to develop the first
intermediate-range ballistic missile
(IRBM). The Air Force is said to
be a year or more ahead of the
Army-Navy team. 1t has never
been officially confirmed. however.
that the Air Force is even working
on an IRBM, although 1t has been
common knowledge among Wash
ington correspondents for some
time.
Scientists Con lnhibit
Not all the incentives need come
from outside. either Scientists and
engineers themselves can help.
Sometimes they actually inhibit
chronological progress.
DR.. Robert Oppenheimer. for ex-
ample: is reported to have impeded
research into nuclear propulsion Of
aircraft several years ago. He is
said to have feared the radiation
damage that would result if a
nuclear-powered aircraft were to
crash. This danger is still very
much in the minds of many scien-
fists.
Later, Defense Secretary Charles
E. Wilson held back research money
for developing nuclear- powered air
craft, no doubt bolstered by DR..
Oppenheimer's opposition. Today.
however. largely because of the
logged determination of some lead
ers in the aircraft industry and be-
cause of the persistence Of Con-