1382 



established a number of science missions (London, Paris, Stockholm, 

 Tokyo), and from 1951 until this initial program was suspended at the 

 end of 1955, more than 14 U.S. scientists served abroad for periods 

 averaging 15 months. 



Post-Sputnik Scientific Attache Expansion 



When the Department of State reactivated its science program 

 under the leadership of Dr. Wallace R. Erode, in January 1958, it 

 was made clear that the Department proposed to reactivate 'its 

 system of foreign science missions as well; an intensive effort was 

 begun to recruit for this purpose and "In December the Department's 

 overseas Science Office Program was firmly reestablished with the 

 appointment of seven distinguished American scientists to serve as 

 scientific attaches at U.S. Embassies in Europe and the Far East. An 

 additional group of seven scientists was appointed in February 

 1960, and the area coverage was extended to South Asia and Latm 

 J^merica." ^^ 



By the time Dr. Erode had completed his tour of duty 14 scientists 

 ^srere accredited "attaches" in 9 (of 10 authorized) embassies in 

 Europe, Asia, and Latin America. They represented the fields of 

 phj'sical science (physics, chemistry), life and biological science 

 (zoology, bacteriology, biophysics, genetics), earth science (geophysics, 

 oceanography), and technology (engineering, electronics). Some of 

 them operated out of one embassy to cover activities in several 

 adjacent countries as regional attaches. 



By this time also (1960), it was clear that the collecting of foreign 

 scientific information was no longer the sole function of the scientific 

 attach^ as it had been in 1917-1919, nor even the primary function, 

 as in 1950. The State Department ^^ now saw the functions of the 

 attache about as follows: 



— Advise and assist ambassador and other embassy officials on 

 scientific developments and matters in which his expertise can be 

 usefully appHed; 



— Evaluate the influence of various basic and applied scientific 

 developments on U.S. pohcy; 



— Report on major developments in organization and changes 

 in leadership in the science community; 



— ^Facilitate the flow of information and persons in scientific 

 fields ; 



— Represent the U.S. science community to the counterpart 

 groups and institutions in the country to which he is assigned 

 (speak at or attend conferences and academic gatherings); and 

 — Assist U.S. agencies with overseas science interests. 

 By 1960, the Department was considering "a new procedure de- 

 signed to provide certain scientific reporting services at posts which 

 do not require the assignment of a full-fledged scientific attache." 

 This plan "would be achieved by building up within the regular 

 Foreign Service a corps of officers who have had an educational 

 background or experience in various fields of science which would 

 equip them to report on scientific developments abroad as they relate 



•1 The Science Adviser of the Department of State, op. clt., pp. 19-22. 

 •> The Science Adviser of the Department of State, op. clt., pp. 17-23. 



