STATE OF SCIENCE—COMPTON 409 
It is to be hoped that our leaders of public affairs, in government 
and business and the professions, will be no less farsighted than those 
statesmen of earlier days. ‘The postwar interest in research shown 
by our military departments, the favorable prospects for a national 
science foundation, and above all the recently increased liberality of 
American industrial firms in support of fundamental research within 
and without their organizations, are all encouraging signs. 
An aspect of such problems which is in the traditional spirit of 
American altruism, but which is also of long-range bearing on our 
own welfare, was ably stated by the President in point four of his 
inaugural address when he said: 
We must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific 
advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of 
underdeveloped areas. 
More than half the people of the world are living in conditions approaching 
misery. ‘Their food is inadequate. They are victims of disease. Their economic 
life is primitive and stagnant. ‘Their poverty is a handicap and a threat both to 
them and to more prosperous areas. 
For the first time in history, humanity possesses the knowledge and the skill 
to relieve the suffering of these people. 
Already notable steps along such lines have been undertaken by a 
number of industrial companies which have been convinced that their 
long-term profitable business in relatively undeveloped areas is 
closely linked to the improvement in the living standards of the 
populations of these countries, for reasons both economic and political. 
Hence we see skillful programs in progress, by such companies as 
United Fruit, the oil companies and others, not only to raise wages 
but, more importantly, to apply the most modern arts of medicine 
and public health, soil utilization, seed selection and agricultural 
technique, education and recreation for improving the health, pros- 
perity, and morale of the peoples with whom they deal. The more 
of this that is done, the better and the safer the world will be. 
One of the lessons of history is that the improvement of man’s 
physical and environmental well-being does much to contribute to 
the elimination of political and social unrest, and that the reverse 
promotes revolution. We know also that the constructive applica- 
tions of science do improve man’s environmental well-being if the 
gains from science are fairly distributed among the people. Hence 
we see, in the program advocated by the President, not only a program 
of altruism but also of utilizing technology in the interests of political 
stability and peace. 
This subject will be given expert treatment in one of the panel 
discussions tomorrow. So, in fact, will many other goals of our current 
technological programs, about which I had originally thought of 
speaking. And I can obviously do little justice to much in my few 
