172 ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



in London obtained, by far, the best and most up-to-date information on 

 their research problems. 



In order better to service those NDRC divisions having oflGces in New 

 York, the Liaison Office estabUshed a branch in New^ York City in February 

 1944 under Mrs. Louise Paddock, v^^ho had been in the Washington office 

 from its inception. 



With the rapid increase in the scale of operations and in the number of 

 functions, it became necessary to formalize the organization of the Office 

 along functional lines. The arrangements for travel of OSRD personnel to 

 England, the handling of requests for British subjects to visit OSRD projects 

 and meetings, and the dispatch, receipt, and distribution of cables between 

 Washington and London were brought into a single unit late in 1942 

 which became known as the Overseas Service Division. The first head of 

 this unit was Miss Barbara E. Caldon who was succeeded on December 18, 

 1944, by Mrs. Frances F. Giggal. By December 31, 1945, 1820 persons had 

 engaged in foreign travel under OSRD auspices and the Overseas Service 

 Division had carried for them the burden of wartime travel arrangements, 

 including such items as passports, visas, travel priorities, immunizations, 

 releases by Selective Service Boards, military permits, special clearances and 

 a host of others. At its peak the division was handling 250 travelers per 

 quarter. The total number of cables handled through December 31, 1945, 

 was 7487, with the number running at approximately 700 per quarter for 

 some time. 



The volume of British reports increased month by month to the point 

 where it became desirable to organize the working group associated in the 

 receipt and distribution of this material into a unit, later called the British 

 Reports Section. A total of 59,135 separate reports, letters and samples from 

 the United Kingdom and Canada was handled through December 31, 1945, 

 with the peak reached in the second quarter of 1945 when approximately 

 6000 were received. The British Reports Section was supervised by Harold A. 

 Traver until late in 1943, when Dr. Dorothy W. Weeks was placed in 

 charge. In September 1945, Dr. Weeks became a part time employee and 

 Miss Mary L. Carll served as acting head during the periods when Dr. Weeks 

 was not present. 



The OSRD Reports Section was established somewhat later than the 

 corresponding group for British reports as the flow of American reports in 

 volume began later than the flow of British reports. By December 31, 1945, 

 however, 82,153 items had been dispatched to the United Kingdom and 

 Canada. The peak volume was in the first and second quarters of 1944, in 

 each of which over 8000 items were handled. The section was formally 

 organized on January i, 1944, with WilUam M. Olive in charge. When he 

 left in August 1945, it was placed direcdy under the Assistant Liaison 

 Officer. 



