206 



National Resources Planning Board 



processes and technology and the fullest utilization of the natural 

 resources and advantages which it now possesses.' 



Bernal ' states that it has been extremely difficult to 

 raise money for cooperative research by trade associa- 

 tions, giving as reasons that the chief competitive value 

 of research is lost if carried out cooperatively, and the 

 lack of appreciation of scientific research in any form. 

 Nearly all the reports of the Department of Scientific 

 and Industiral Research have shown difficulties in per- 

 suading industries to take up research. Much of Eng- 

 lish industry consists of small factories, employing from 

 20 to 100 men. Most of these firms do not have the 

 resources to undertake research and many have diffi- 

 culty in maintaining useful contacts with national 

 research projects through their trade associations. Fur- 

 thermore, the Government has been reluctant for polit- 

 ical as well as economic reasons to take active part 

 in the application of science. It cannot exploit 

 or sell the results of its research except in war 

 emergency. 



The Fighting Forces 



Prior to 1914-18 there were no systematized efforts 

 to study the service which science could render to the 

 national defense. After the outbreak of the war of 1914- 

 18, technical research in the fighting services, except for 

 that carried on secretly in military establishments, 

 was conducted in cooperation with the Department 

 of Scientific and Industrial Research. Coordination 

 was through the directors of scientific research from 

 the Admiralty and the Air Ministry, and from the 

 War Office by various boards and committees. Medi- 

 cal research, however, came under the medical directors 

 general of the three fighting services, and was in close 

 cooperation with the Medical Research Board. The 

 three fighting services jointly maintain the Research 

 Department at Woolwich for research on explosives, 

 metallurgy, and radiology. In addition each service 

 has one or more specialized research establishments, 

 and uses facilities of industrial concerns. At Porton 

 Field research in chemical warfare has been particularly 

 important. 



During the present war and until the surrender of 

 France, liaison between the Advisory Council on Scien- 

 tific Research and Technical Development was effected 

 through the Mission scientifique franco-brittanique 

 which was in contact with the entire French wartime 

 scientific organization. A direct link was also estab- 

 lished between the Ministry of Supply and the French 



• Holland, Maurice. Higb^spot Impressions of significant trends in research in 

 England. France, Qermany. What wc found behind the scenes in Euroiwan research, 

 1937. 



' Bemal. J. D. The social function of science. London, O Roullodge and Sons, 

 Ltd., 1S39. 



Minislerc de I'Armement, the facilities of which were 

 available to the Advisory Council on matters relating 

 to scientific invention through an officer of the Ministry 

 of Supply located in Paris. 



An advisory research council has been formed by the 

 Council of the Chemical Society, the principal purpose 

 of which is, when approached, to call to the attention 

 of specialists research projects which may be of aid to 

 the nation during the war. 



Universities 



Research in universities in England is principally 

 fundamental in character. Until a few years ago aca- 

 demic research was more desirable from a social stand- 

 point than industrial research, so much so that industrial 

 laboratories were unable to recruit men of the highest 

 abilities in graduate work at the universities. This 

 condition has improved greatly in recent years, however, 

 and in fundamental fields has become less surrounded 

 by secrecy and restraint. It was also formerly con- 

 sidered in bad taste for the academic researcher to let 

 his findings be applied in industry, but in the early 

 part of the last decade professors in universities began 

 to cooperate with industry by serving as consultants. 

 Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., was instrumental 

 in starting this movement, which has proceeded with 

 increasing momentvmi up to the present. These uni- 

 versity research workers have performed excellent serv- 

 ices, at the same time maintaining their social standings. 

 Some changes were made in the curricula of technical 

 courses to meet requirements of industry, and some 

 universities initiated courses in chemical engineering. 

 Chemical engineers heretofore had been self-made — often 

 mechanical engineers associated with chemical enter- 

 prises. Closer cooperation between universities and 

 industries has also been fostered by the establishment 

 of fellowships and the donation of research grants to 

 professors by industries to assist in purchasing materials 

 and equipment. 



With some exceptions imiversity laboratories have 

 operated under the disadvantages of small size, in- 

 adequate equipment, and interference of teaching with 

 research. The large grants made to some university 

 laboratories for fundamental research have been 

 extremely helpful in remedying these conditions. 

 There has been no organized direction of research in 

 universities. British university scientists are rendering 

 yeoman service for the national defense, notablj' in 

 military gases. 



A number of British universities have been active in 

 applied research, among which shoidd be mentioned 

 Cambridge, Oxford, and London for their work in 

 chemistrj', Leeds in textiles, Birmingham in fuels, and 

 Sheffield in iron, steel, and ferrous alloys. The 



