DEMOBILIZATION OF OSRD 3O5 



gram which it considered essential, in addition to its own programs, and 

 that the Navy did not know how to arrange for the transfer of OSRD 

 contracts without loss of time. To Bush's point that if the Services did not 

 learn in wartime how to streamline their procedures there was little pros- 

 pect that they would do so in peacetime. Purer replied that "it appears 

 to me that this is no time to place this additional burden upon the Navy." 

 He closed his letter with a statement of three principles which he hoped 

 would be acceptable to OSRD and which in substance made the Navy the 

 judge of what OSRD should do. 



In his reply of October 28, Bush again emphasized that OSRD was 

 planning and not terminating. He pointed out that scientists were aware 

 of the time lag of about two years between the undertaking of wartime 

 military research and its application on a large scale in practice, and that 

 OSRD could not agree that the judgment of the Navy could properly be 

 substituted for that which OSRD was required to exercise by the Execu- 

 tive Order establishing it. 



As a result of this exchange of correspondence and a number of confer- 

 ences the following principles governing the OSRD demobilization were 

 agreed upon between OSRD and the Navy and accepted by the Army: 



A. That the OSRD would continue the energetic prosecution of all 

 projects which the Services and OSRD considered of value in winning the 

 war with Japan, and which the Services were not in a position to take over 

 without loss of effectiveness. Senior scientists, administrators, and key 

 personnel should be retained even though the release of some of the less 

 important workers might be expected if the load decreased. 



B. That the OSRD should use its best efforts to retain sufi&cient OSRD 

 and contractors' personnel on any project of predictable value in the Japa- 

 nese or German wars which was transferred to the Services or other super- 

 visory agency. 



C. That the OSRD should continue to accept new projects if the project 

 involved would, in the opinion of the Services and the Director of OSRD, 

 contribute to the winning of the present war and could be more expedi- 

 tiously completed by OSRD than by the Services or other agency. 



Copies of the demobilization plans of the divisions as approved by NDRC 

 were to be furnished by Bush to Admiral Purer and General Borden for 

 their comment before action on his part. The program for the formula- 

 tion of demobilization plans was given a mixed reception by the divisions. 

 The Radiation Laboratory operating under Division 14 was particularly 

 disturbed at the suggestion that its activities should be curtailed. Preliminary 

 discussion of the transfer of the Radiation Laboratory contract indicated 

 that the Army and Navy organizations were so constituted that neither 

 could successfully undertake such a contract on behalf of both, and that 

 great difficulty would attend effort to set up a single contract for the Army 



