DISCUSSION OF SCIENCE LEGISLATION 21 



They have a deep appreciation of pure and applied science and 

 place a high priority on it. 



They are planning, I helieve, a far more extensive program in 

 science than we are. 



In Russia they are frankly incorporating into their communist govern- 

 ment the best features of our capitalist system w^hile we are tending to 

 put into our democracy some of the worst features of communism which 

 are now discarded in Russia. 



The pioneering spirit in the U. S. shows signs of dying out ; we now 

 talk about a 30 hour week — the right to a job. We attach too much impor- 

 tance to security and too little to opportunity. 



In 1938 and 1939 I spent some time in France. There, too, labor wanted 

 soft jobs without much work but with increased pay and the people 

 wanted security behind their Maginot Line, but what did they get ? Think 

 of Spain, which was once one of the greatest of nations. We should pause 

 and consider very seriously before going too far in discarding the incen- 

 tives which have brought us to our present position. 



The plans for stimulating scientific and industrial progress, and estab- 

 lishing a sound national defense program now before us in the proposed 

 science legislation affords us a remarkable opportunity to retain our 

 leadership and to lay a sound foundation for world wide peace with an 

 increase in the standard of living. 



I do not believe that anyone here questions the advisability of estab- 

 lishing comprehensive government support for science and science educa- 

 tion. In my opinion the important question before us is how to devise a 

 plan which will provide the necessary incentives to make the plan workable. 



Fundamental and Applied Research. In planning a program of this 

 kind we need to distinguish clearly between two distinctly different types 

 of research which we may call fundamental and applied research. The aim 

 of fundamental science is to acquire new basic knowledge. This is inher- 

 ently unpredictable- — discoveries cannot be planned or foreseen. 



The aim of applied science is to apply existing knowledge to definite 

 useful ends. A good part of such applied research or development work 

 lies in the field of engineering. Success depends largely upon planning, 

 organization, and financial support. 



The cost involved in bringing a project in applied science to a success- 

 ful conclusion, resulting in the production of some manufactured article, 

 is usually many times greater than the cost of the work that led to the 

 fundamental discoveries upon which the application was based. Thus, in 

 the Bush report, it is stated that in the U. S. A. before the war the annual 

 expenditures in millions of dollars were: 



