1343 



partment may fulfill adequately its role with respect to the international aspects 

 of science.-" 



The report itself defined the objective of U.vS. international science 

 policy as being: 



. . . The furtherance of understanding and cooperation among the nations of 

 the world, . . . promotion of scientific progress and the benefits to be derived 

 therefrom, and . . . maintenance of that measure of security of the free peoples 

 of the world required for the continuance of their intellectual, material, and 

 political freedom.2' 



Benefits of the proposed international science policy were con- 

 sidered to be: 



— Effective influence on the preservation of an international 

 environment of freedom; 



—Growth and progress of science and technology; 



— Economic welfare; and 



— Security "of free peoples everywhere." ^^ 



The report attached principal importance to the desirabilit}'' of an 

 international flow of scientific and technological information. Five 

 chapters (pp. 25-85) were addressed to this subject. Only four chapters 

 (pp. 86-114) dealt with the relation of science and technology to the 

 formulation of foreign policy, a science advisory unit in the Depart- 

 ment, interagency coordination, and the design of overseas science 

 missions. 



The chapter of the Berkner Report on "The Role of Science in the 

 Formulation of Foreign Policy" identified this role as twofold: (1) how 

 to use diplomacy to further science, and (2) how diplomats could use 

 science and technology to solve world problems.^^ It concluded : 



. . . That consideration of the natural sciences and technology is often lacking 

 within the Department of wState. This lack appears to stem from a failure of 

 communication channels between many areas of the Department and United 

 States science and technologj-, both government and private, arising from a lack 

 of consciousness of the bearing of science on the problems at hand. 



It is true that science contributed to many of the operations of the Department, 

 but it has generally been on an ad hoc basis. This is not enough. For science to be 

 properly efifective in its influence, accepted procedures must be established to 

 assure that the scientific and technological aspects of each proVjlem are continously 

 considered, both from the point of view of science itself, and of equal importance, 

 from the point of view of the relation of the scientific to the other aspects, political, 

 social, and economic.^^ 



There were three deficiencies in the Department's expertise in 

 science and technology: 



First, insufficient scientific competence is presently available within the Depart- 

 ment to insure rapid, accurate selection of the type and source of scientific 

 assistance required in the formulation of foreign polic^^ Current procedures for 

 the utilization of, outside scientific consultants are based on random personal 

 contacts between the Department and outside agencies or upon complete reliance 

 on the advice of representatives of government agencies. The selection procedure 

 is neither sj-stematic nor reliable and is susceptible of serious errors of judgment. 

 Nor is this assistance immediately available. 



Second, there is no mechanism for keeping the Department apprised of the 

 implications of its actions as the\^ affect science, and consequently it may fail to 

 call for competent technical advice when needed. For example, the success of a 

 recent international high altitude biology conference in Peru was jeopardized by 



20 Ibid. 



21 Ibid., p. 19. 



22 Ibid., pp. 20-21. 



23 Berkner Report, p. 86-87. 

 » Ibid., p. 87. 



