^04 ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



it was apprehensive lest there be some relaxation of efforts before final 

 victory was achieved. 



On September 19, 1944, Senator Harry F. Byrd, as Chairman of the 

 Joint Committee on Reduction of Nonessential Federal Expenditures, asked 

 Bush a number of specific questions about the plans for demobilization of 

 OSRD which Bush was able to answer prompdy, as many of the points 

 had been anticipated in his memorandum of September 13. Replying to a 

 specific question, he stated that OSRD had no postwar plans inasmuch as 

 the primary reason for its existence would disappear with the end of 

 the war. 



The Bureau of the Budget hopped on the demobilization bandwagon by 

 a letter of September 23, 1944, calling for specific information as to plans 

 for the termination of OSRD. In addition to sending the Bureau a copy 

 of his memorandum of September 13, 1944, Bush replied to three specific 

 questions in the sense of the memorandum. 



Obviously, as OSRD activities were carried on principally through con- 

 tracts, plans for the demobilization of OSRD were a matter of great im- 

 portance to the contractors. The situation with respect to scientific man- 

 power had been critical for a long time and the contractors were entided 

 to as much notice as possible of OSRD plans which might affect that 

 situation. Recognizing this, on October 3, Bush outlined to all OSRD con- 

 tractors his plans for the demobilization of OSRD. Again he emphasized 

 that, while it was necessary to prepare plans, those plans would not be put 

 into effect until after the defeat of Germany. He made no prediction as to 

 when that defeat might come. On the contrary, he stated that the con- 

 tractors should continue at full speed as in the past with no diminution 

 of effort by reason of uncertainty as to the future. With that warning he 

 informed the contractors that the OSRD staff had been requested to prepare 

 plans to be put into operation soon after Germany's defeat and that in the 

 preparation of the plans they would be in touch with the contractors. He 

 told the contractors that the Army and Navy would continue to need their 

 full co-operation in carrying on those programs which might be of long- 

 range interest. He added that while the co-operation between the contractors 

 and the Services must necessarily take a form which would be mutually 

 acceptable to them, OSRD stood ready to be of assistance if needed. 



Discussion of the OSRD demobilization plan occurred between OSRD 

 personnel and Army and Navy personnel at all levels. The official Navy 

 view was expressed in a letter to Bush from Furer on October 16, 1944, 

 which stated the Navy opinion "that any abatement of interest and active 

 participation in the administration and scientific effort of your organiza- 

 tion will delay the final victory over Japan, and will therefore also result 

 in additional loss of life in our forces." Furer maintained that the Navy 

 could not without loss of tempo undertake those parts of the OSRD pro- 



