that standards of scientific and tech- 

 nological ability be the limiting fac- 

 tors, rather than to recommend that 

 definite numbers of veterans be se- 

 lected for training. In dealing with 

 the veterans, for whom we think the 

 best possible training should be of- 

 fered, the only sound way for the 

 administrators of the law to proceed 

 is qualitatively, on the basis of assist- 

 ing those who can maintain the high- 

 est standards, rather than on the basis 

 of any quantitative estimates or fixed 

 quotas. 



It is not necessary to stress further 

 that the proper handling of the reser- 

 voir of scientific talent now in the 

 armed forces is of the first importance 

 from the point of view of continuity 

 in future supply of scientists. Not all 

 of the scientific talent in the age 

 groups here considered (those born 

 in the years 1921 to 1928, roughly) 

 is to be found in the armed forces, 

 because some of the trained scientists 

 among them have been kept at 

 civilian tasks of utmost urgency for 

 the war effort. However, such as- 

 signment to civilian status through 

 Selective Service mechanism has been 

 far from effective in the past year or 

 two, and for those born later than 

 1924 (now 21 years of age or less), 

 practically no exemptions from mili- 

 tary service (except by reason of 

 physical disability) have been al- 

 lowed. Each year that the 18-year 

 olds are called up for service in the 

 armed forces a large portion of the 

 potential scientific talent of that age 

 group is cut off from adequate train- 

 ing. Among these younger men are 

 those who will be the most promising 

 candidates for further scientific edu- 

 cation when demobilized; yet, be- 

 cause, under the provisions of the 

 present law, the length of education 

 depends on length of service, it will 



be those young men who can have 

 the least Government assistance. 

 Amendment of the law to rectify this 

 situation, at least insofar as future 

 scientists are concerned, seems to us 

 essential for the safety and continued 

 prosperity of the Nation. 



The relation of the proposed ex- 

 tensions of the provisions of the Gl 

 Bill of Rights to the long-term plan 

 envisaged earlier in this report for 

 the National Science Reserve is ob- 

 vious. Those educated in science 

 under the veterans' law for a period 

 prolonged beyond the period to which 

 as veterans they would be entitled 

 should likewise be members of the 

 National Science Reserve. The rela- 

 tion of the proposed extensions to our 

 proposals for ordering members of the 

 armed forces to duty as students like- 

 wise is obvious. That group would 

 remain in the armed services only as 

 long as, under actual plans for de- 

 mobilization, they are required to 

 remain. Thereafter, they would take 

 up the educational benefits to which 

 they will be entitled under the GI 

 Bill of Rights, and under, we trust, 

 our proposed extensions of benefits 

 to the specially talented among them. 



5. Duties of Schools^ Colleges, 

 Universities and Technical 

 Schools to Returning Veterans 



However, this is a problem not 

 only for the Federal Government to 

 solve, but also is one requiring that 

 the States and the colleges, universi- 

 ties, and technical schools take lead- 

 ership. We say emphatically to the 

 colleges, and universities and techni- 

 cal schools that it is up to them to 

 be extremely flexible and broad- 

 minded in handling the returning 

 veteran. Unless they are willing and 

 able to devise ways and means of 

 developing in science those able vet- 



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