Introduction 



Part One 



President Roosevelt has asked: 



What can tlie Go\'ernmcnt do now and 

 in the future to aid research activities bv 

 public and private organizations? * * * 

 The information, the techniques, and the 

 research experience developed by the 

 Office of Scientific Research and Develop- 

 ment and by the thousands of scientists in 

 the universities and in private industry, 

 should be used in the days of peace ahead 

 for the improvement of the national health, 

 the creation of new enterprises bringing 

 new jobs, and the betterment of the na- 

 tional standard of living. New frontiers of 

 the mind are before us, and if they are 

 pioneered with the same vision, boldness, 

 and drive with which we have waged this 

 war we can create a fuller and more fruit- 

 ful employment and a fuller and more 

 fruitful life. 



The President's request reflects 

 widespread recognition by the Amer- 

 ican people that the security of a 

 modern nation depends in a vital 

 way upon scientific research and tech- 

 nological progress. It is equally clear 

 that public health, higher standards 

 of living, conservation of national re- 

 sources, new jobs and investment op- 

 portunities — in short, the prosperity, 

 well-being and progress of the Amer- 

 ican Nation — all require the con- 

 tinued flow of new scientific knowl- 

 edge. Even if a nation's manpower 

 declines in relative numbers, even if 

 its geographical frontiers become 

 fixed, there always remains one in- 

 exhaustible national resource — crea- 

 tive scientific research. 



The advanced state of technology 

 in the American economy, of which 

 we are justly proud, could not have 



been realized without sound institu- 

 tional foundations. Our public and 

 prix'ate universities and nonprofit re- 

 search institutes, our industrial re- 

 search laboratories, the research agen- 

 cies operated by the State and Fed- 

 eral Governments, all constitute part 

 of a cooperative pattern within which 

 tremendous achievements have al- 

 ready been made. We are confident 

 that within that same framework 

 even greater developments in science 

 will mark the future. 



The continued progress of science 

 is a matter of the highest national 

 importance. The Federal Govern- 

 ment, by virtue of its charge to pro- 

 vide for the common defense and 

 general welfare, has the responsibility 

 of encouraging and aiding such prog- 

 ress. It has recognized this responsi- 

 bilitv in the past bv providing re- 

 search laboratories within the struc- 

 ture of government, bv providing a 

 climate of law within which industry 

 could advance on its own initiative, 

 and by making limited appropriations 

 to certain types of educational and 

 research institutions. As far as the 

 committee can determine, there is no 

 major dissent from the view that the 

 first two methods of aiding scientific 

 progress fall within the proper func- 

 tion of government. 



The time has come, however, for 

 a careful evaluation of the questions 

 raised by direct Federal aid to private 

 institutions. Our universities clearly 

 stand in need of increased financial 



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