EPILOGUE 



D 



URING the first six months of 1947 most of OSRD's re- 

 maining obligations were met. Consideration was given to transferring the 

 remaining tasks of contract liquidation to the Liquidation Unit in the 

 Treasury Department at the end of the fiscal year; but late in June the Bu- 

 reau of the Budget decided that OSRD's liquidation had not reached the 

 stage where this could be done conveniently and that it would be preferable 

 for OSRD to remain in existence for a few months longer, so that this work 

 could be performed by persons on its staff already familiar with the special 

 problems involved. 



' The staff of the agency, which had numbered 177 on December 31, 1946, 

 had dwindled to 74 by June 30, 1947. Then it was cut still further to 26 

 paid employees. At the same time, Carey G. Cruikshank, who had been 

 Fiscal Officer, succeeded Cleveland Norcross as Executive Secretary. 



The work remaining on the first of July consisted of auditing current 

 vouchers submitted by contractors, continuing a survey of contract costs, 

 property accounting for 45 contracts, keeping track of the security clearance 

 of reports, supervising the publication contracts mentioned in Chapter XX 

 (Summary Technical Reports, monographs, and histories), and completing 

 the transfer of permanent records to the National Archives. These activities 

 will still require some months for their completion. 



The question of a successor agency, mentioned at the end of Chapter XXI, 

 is still unsolved. An act for the creation of a National Science Foundation, 

 which was passed by Congress on July 22, 1947, was vetoed by the 

 President after the first session of the 80th Congress had adjourned. The 

 Foundation, named in the Act as the successor of OSRD, was to take over 

 its few remaining obligations. Now it appears that they will be disposed of 

 before there is time for this subject to be considered by the next session of 

 Congress. 



The action of the 8oth Congress in creating the Department of National 

 Defense should simplify the co-ordination of research for military purposes. 

 The Research and Development Board of the new Department, with its 

 committees and panels, provides a means for introducing civilian scientists 

 into military planning. There seems reason to hope that the experiences of 

 OSRD may thus be of continuing benefit to the country in its preparation 

 for an eventuality which we all hope may never transpire. 



IRVIN G. STEWART 



Morgantown, West Virginia 

 August, ig4y 



