BASIC RESEARCH IN GOVERNMENT LABORATORIES 



problems of the farm and the farm-products processor. Simi- 

 larly, the early projects undertaken by the National Bureau of 

 Standards were industrially oriented. Fully balanced laboratory 

 research programs were usually not possible. Nor did planners 

 deem it necessary to invest a portion of staff time in funda- 

 mental studies. 



World War I and the accompanying scientific situation 

 altered this condition. That war indicated that this country 

 must achieve a high degree of scientific self-sufficiency. We 

 could no longer rely on European science for its observations, 

 its data, and its theorizing. In the 1920's and 1930's govern- 

 ment scientific laboratories tried to overcome this reliance on 

 foreign research. Fuller and more adequate technical programs 

 were proposed and partially activated. Nonetheless, the degree 

 of support provided to federal science was inadequate to meet 

 any criterion of self-sufficiency. In World War II, these govern- 

 ment laboratories were in a somewhat more able position to 

 meet America's urgent problems, but these laboratories were far 

 from adequate for the large-scale technical problems faced by 

 that war. So we were introduced to the broad contract research 

 which is now so familiar to modern government science. One 

 thing you must note in all this. Government science programs 

 developed in spurts and under the pressure of emergencies. It 

 is not surprising that present government laboratories have 

 some difficulty in winning acceptance of planned-for long-range 

 research programs which will include basic research. 



Today, as I have said, there are more than one hundred 

 major government laboratories. Most of these are in the physical 

 sciences. A very high percentage of these is involved in military 

 programs. They may be classified according to their function 

 or the types of service they provide. Some are involved in data 

 compilation and data dissemination, such as the Weather Bu- 

 reau, the Geological Survey, and the Bureau of the Census. 



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