1395 



In the U.S. delegations to the United Nations, Organization of 

 American States, International Atomic Energy Agency, North 

 Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organization for Economic Cooperation 

 and Development, and UNESCO, political officers numbered 24» 

 economic officers 14, and science personnel 4. 



POSSIBLE MODIFICATIONS 



If the policy is adhered to of recruiting only senior-level scientists 

 with language facility, serving for 2-year tours of duty, it is likely 

 that the manpower percentile allocation for science expertise will 

 never be much increased over present levels. In view of the sustained 

 growth in importance of technology as a primary force influencing 

 changes in national strength and international relations of countries^ 

 as well as the sustained growth in international contacts and pro- 

 grams of scientists, the need for formal nation-to-nation contact on 

 scientific and technological matters seems likely to grow in scope and 

 importance. 



In order to facilitate recruitment and improve the product of the 

 personnel in this field, several alternatives might be worth con- 

 sideration: relaxing the initial language requirement, extending the 

 duration of the duty tour, opening recruitment to senior-level tech- 

 nologists as well as scientists, taking account of the availability of 

 persons trained in "science policy" as well as those in the disciplines 

 of science, expanded programs of training of political and economic 

 officers in science and technology polic}^, and recruitment of generalist 

 Foreign. Service candidates with substantial academic credits in the 

 physical or biological sciences. It would seem to be less essentia] 

 that "scientific" attaches be scientists than that they be competent 

 in assessing the interactions of science and technology with diplomacy. 



It is also to be recognized that communication across the disci- 

 plinary boundaries of individual sciences can be as difficult as over- 

 coming language barriers; the increasingly specialized vocabularies 

 and expertise of scientific subdisciplines is worsening the problem. 

 Technologists tend to be more generalist than specialist in their 

 training, but neither scientific nor engineering disciplines are an 

 ideal foundation for diplomatic relationships. The task of scientific 

 and technological representation in the diplomatic environment may 

 indeed require a team effort, rather than an attempt to find an array 

 of usually disparate skills in single individuals. 



