LIAISON WITH ALLIED GOVERNMENTS 169 



he accompanied Conant, because it was felt that he could better facilitate 

 the task of the permanent group in England if he were conversant with 

 the problems confronting it. The group reached London in March 1941, 

 and Conant and Wilson returned to the United States in April. 



The agreements reached by the Conant Mission set the pattern for liaison 

 throughout the war. They provided that NDRC (and later OSRD) would 

 exchange war research information directly with the British Ministries and 

 without reservation as to commercial matters. Information obtained by 

 either Government from its commercial contractors was to be made avail- 

 able to the other for Government use only. In practice an informal policy 

 was developed that no information from a commercial contractor of one 

 Government would be divulged by the other Government to one of its 

 contractors without first obtaining the permission of the originating source. 

 This policy was formalized in the Radar Exchange Plan described later, 

 and was adhered to in all matters which fell outside the scope of that plan. 

 As a corollary, it was decided that individuals who held appointments 

 within the OSRD or within the British Government, and, at the same time, 

 were connected with commercial firms, would be regarded as dual per- 

 sonalities. Information was given to them in their capacities as Government 

 appointees with the understanding that it was not available to them in 

 their capacities as employees of commercial firms. Another principle on 

 which agreement was reached by the Conant Mission was that British 

 research should concern itself principally with immediate objectives con- 

 nected with the defense of Britain, and that long-range development should 

 in general be undertaken in the United States. 



While Conant was primarily concerned with general arrangements and 

 high policy, succeeding visitors rapidly shifted the emphasis of the London 

 Mission, which he had left under the direction of Hovde, to specific prob- 

 lems. By June 1941, the Mission had been firmly established and it was 

 evident that its function would be a continuing one. Staff members were 

 added to it from time to time. 



The London Mission originally operated with a small, permanent staff 

 supplemented by a large number of visitors who were sent to England by 

 the divisions and sections on specific missions or on visits of a comparatively 

 short duration. The scope and volume of OSRD activities increased enor- 

 mously after American entry into the war; and with many research prob- 

 lems being studied both in England and the United States, it was highly 

 desirable that the research groups in each country be kept as fully informed 

 as possible of progress in the other. In some fields, particularly in the field 

 of radar, co-ordinated research was planned between the groups. Experience 

 showed that the interchange of reports was not sufficient to cover a specific 

 field. Many research workers in England and America were too busy work- 

 ing on their problems to write adequate reports. Reports were slow in 



