1380 



Apparently the scientific attaches had close personal relations ^^ 

 with the military services throughout. They were provided with mili- 

 tary quarters, transportation, furniture, and facilities. The total 

 budget for the three offices plus the Washington headquarters, from 

 February 1, 1918 to June 30, 1919 was "about $60,000." ^' Clearly 

 the costs were nominal, and it is to be inferred that the attaches paid 

 part of their costs out of their own resources plus a good deal of 

 scrounging. 



The primary function of the scientific attaches was to collect or 

 produce scientific reports for use in the United States. They sent home 

 1,650 such reports, mainly on aircraft and submarine matters (plus 86 

 on metallurgy, 19 on radio, 33 on gas engines, 30 medical, and 29 on 

 photography). They also transmitted to the host countries upwards of 

 800 reports generated in the United States. Requests for information 

 went in both du'ections by letter and cable (200 from London, 140 

 to London). 



The report of the Research Information Service attached particular 

 importance to the assistance of the scientific attaches in organizing 

 the International Research Council and the Scientific Unions, and most 

 of all to "the promotion of cooperation, mutual confidence, and good 

 will among the Allies." 



In summary, it can be concluded that the World W^ar I system 

 of scientific attaches was ad hoc, entirel}' operational,^^ and with a 

 great deal of cornercutting. There was a war on. However: "On 

 June 30, 1919, the government funds which had supported the Service, 

 lapsed and the Service had to be discontinued. Arrangements were 

 made at the various offices for attending to unfinished business; 

 then the files were stored and the offices closed, it is hoped merely 

 temporarily." 



THE YEARS 1919-1939 



Considerable private activity in the interaction of the world 

 scientific community occurred in the interval between 1919 and 1939: 

 the growth of the international scientific unions, exchanges of academic 



'< According to the final report: 



The fact that Admiral Sims was an old friend of Dr. Durand's. a former classmate at the Naval 

 Academy, and shipmate on the first cruise after graduat'on, led him to take the wannest interest in 

 the Information Service and in the purposes for which it was established. He at once arranged to 

 give Dr. Bumstead an office in his headquarters in London and to provide for the Paris office in a 

 similar manner. By his kindness. Dr. Bum.stead was ' hus settled in a comfortable office with all 

 necessary furniture and facilities, only 2 days after his arrival in London, and was enabled to 

 begin work promptly and without friction. Without this help the difficulty of securing a suitable 

 office and furniture would have caused great delay and involved nmch waste of efTort. 



85 It is amusing to note that in both 1918 and 1919 all field offices underspent their appropriations while lit 

 both years the Washington office went over its budget slightly. 



s' In the final report, the functions of the three foreign offices are described in more explicit and straight- 

 forward terms than in the original NRC charter. There were eight of these, as follows: 



(1) To establish and maintain effective contact with as many research laboratories and organizations 

 as possible. 



(2) To collect or comp'le and transmit promptlt; reports of the work of these laboratories and organiza- 

 tions, especially those regarding methods and devices under development, whether promising or 

 not. 



(3) To distribute each report received from overseas to those individuals and organizations who 

 should receive the information it contains. 



(4) To transmit requests for special information and to secure special information requested from over- 

 seas. 



(.5) To cooperate with any existing agencies for collecting information in such a way as to prevent 

 duplication. 



(6) To facilitate the work of special inves'igntors by furnishing them with available information, and 

 by guiding them to the proper sou'ces a id by suppl>ing introductions. 



(7) To maintain a file of the reports collected and an index to make the information contained readily 

 available. 



(8) To cover matters no one else was looking after, act as financial agent and otherwise be as useful as 

 possible. 



