DISCUSSION OF SCIENCE LEGISLATION 13 



present level. However, before that I would like to consider for a moment 

 the atomic bomb work covered by the Smyth report, in so far as it bears on 

 the question of the planning of scientiific work. 



The atomic bomb rests on a foundation of pure science carried on 

 almost entirely in universities in many different nations over a period of 

 years. Without this foundation all the resources of American industry, 

 the organizing power of the Army, and the finances of the Government 

 would never have led to the atomic bomb. The unhampered, free search 

 for truth which was permitted in universities provided the favorable con- 

 ditions under which such fundamental research progressed. Without such 

 a foundation no planning board could have brought the atomic bomb into 

 existence. It is, of course, equally true that the pure scientists themselves 

 never could have produced the atomic bomb since this required the vast 

 financial resources of the Government, the efficient organization of the 

 Army, the OSRD, and the tremendous industrial power which exists in 

 this country. It is important to note that in the Manhattan Project nearly 

 all of the 2 billion dollars was spent not for fundamental science but for 

 its applications. The final result was obtained only by a remarkably fine 

 example of teamwork or cooperation between scientists, engineers, tech- 

 nicians. Army, and the few high government officials of extraordinarily 

 clear vision and leadership who knew of this project. 



It has been pointed out in the Bush report and elsewhere that up to 

 about 1910 the U. S. had already shown remarkable proficiency in develop- 

 ing industries upon the basis of the pure science that had been developed 

 in other countries, particularly Germany, England, and France. However, 

 since about that time the Americans have been contributing much more 

 than before in the field of pure science. Within the last 10 years before 

 the war America was making at least its fair share of the contributions to 

 fundamental science. The larger part of this progress in basic science was 

 done in universities and research institutes but there was an increasing 

 tendency for industrial research laboratories to engage in fundamental 

 research. During the post-war period this tendency will probably develop 

 considerably further. 



The remarkable expansion of American industry, which was based 

 upon the applications in science, is well illustrated by considering the fol- 

 lowing list of industries in which the U. S. took a leading part : 



Railroads 



Oil 



Steel 



Aluminum 



Electrical, Automobile, and Aviation 



Telephone, Radio, Rubber, and many others 



