THE CONTRACT I99 



intention, or for modification if it did not. When both the legal and techni- 

 cal divisions had approved, the copy was routed by the contract section to 

 the Executive Secretary, who endorsed the recommendation copy if it was 

 within the scope of the Director's approval. The original and one carbon 

 were then sent by the contract section to the contractor for his signature. 



Upon return of the signed copies, the section checked them against the 

 recommendation copy and sent them to the Contracting OfiBcer for signature 

 on behalf of OSRD. If the contractor decUned to sign because the contract 

 did not reflect his understanding of the agreement, the section would refer 

 his comments to the legal, technical, or patent division depending upon the 

 nature of the misunderstanding. In only a few cases was it impossible to 

 agree upon a text satisfactory to both parties, although at times extensive 

 negotiations were required before agreement was reached. After signature 

 by the Contracting Officer, the contract section would conform all copies of 

 the contract, assign a contract number, send the signed original to the Gen- 

 eral Accounting Office, return the signed carbon to the contractor, and dis- 

 tribute conformed copies to the supervising division, the fiscal section and 

 the contract files. 



The records of the section were so maintained that it was possible at a 

 glance to determine the exact location of any contract or proposed contract 

 at any moment. The Executive Secretary was given a report showing the 

 status of each contract under negotiation as of the close of business on each 

 Wednesday. While the volume varied, during the winter of 1 943-1 944, on 

 the average 225 contracts were in the process of negotiation at all times, 

 with new contracts or supplements coming along at the rate of about 45 per 

 week. The contract section was organized by Cecil L. Covington. When he 

 left for the Navy, Mrs. Pauline Eason and Miss Margaret Simms served 

 successively as Chief of the section. 



The research and development contract was the heart of OSRD operations. 

 While unintelligent administration can make a good contract unworkable, 

 even an enlightened administration will have hard going if the basic con- 

 tract is not fitted to the purposes of research. Experience showed the OSRD 

 contract to be well adapted to obtain good results. Its form, developed 

 directly to meet an unusual situation, has been utilized by the Services in 

 some of their research contracts, and the spirit in which it was administered, 

 likewise engendered by the recognized need for co-operation, can be ex- 

 pected to carry over into the future with good results. 



