Science and the War Effort in the United States

Abstract

A PAPER on “The Fuller Utilisation of Scientific Resources for Total War” presented by Dr. T. Rose-bury at a meeting of the New York Branch of the American Association of Scientific Workers on October 7, which has now, appeared in Science (96, 571 ; December 25, 1942), shows a similar concern over the failure to utilize scientific resources to that which exists in Great Britain, and also that the American Association of Scientific Workers is actively concerned with this problem. The broad outlines do not of course differ in the two countries, and with much that is being done in the United States readers of NATURE are already familiar. The chief feature of interest in Dr. Rosebury's paper is its account of the encouragement and organization of individual volunteer scientific activity by the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Emphasizing that leadership however competent is not enough, Dr. Rosebury points out that any responsible scientific worker can formulate a war project and submit it as an application for a contract to the O.S.R.D. or to one of its sub-committees. If the application is approved, a contract is granted, and funds for assisting personnel and for equipment and supplies are made available for the work ; Dr. Rosebury describes the way in which the services of a group of bacteriologists in New York were utilized in this way. Finally, he indicates the way in which scientific workers can assist on the home front, and deal with the problems that will result from shortages of trained personnel and assist in securing the full utilization of scientific facilities, equipment and materials, where the National Registry of Rare Chemicals, maintained under the auspices of the Armour Foundation, and the National Research Council have already pointed the way. Dr. Rosebury, however, suggests that ultimately all scientific activity should be centralized and co-ordinated by a single government agency.