Industrial Research 



213 



small but highly competent group engaged in pure 

 physics research activities. It is especially well 

 equipped for work in the field of nuclear research. Re- 

 search has been conducted for some years there on coal, 

 which is significant because Switzerland imports all its 

 coal. The pm-pose of the coal investigations is to limit 

 imports by selection of those kinds which most cheaply 

 satisfy the particular uses for which they are em- 

 ployed. The institute recently erected a laboratory 

 for industrial research to aid the development of Swiss 

 industries. 



As in the Netherlands, university professors often act 

 as research consultants for manufacturers, who purchase 

 the equipment and pay for such additional assistance as 

 may be necessary. 



The Swiss Government does Uttle industrial re- 

 search although it is active in agricultural research. 

 The military technical service maintains a munitions 

 testing unit and a laboratory for the study of war gases. 



The number of scientific and technical societies in 

 Switzerland is large. 



Research in the Union of 

 Soviet Socialist Republics 



In Czarist Russia science was encouraged by the 

 Government to a limited extent for its own needs in- 

 cluding those of the army, and to present a showing to 

 the rest of Europe, but to the great mass of the popu- 

 lation it was nonexistent. Russia has produced great 

 scientists, such as Mendeleef, famous for his work on the 

 periodic law of the elements, and more recently Ipatiev, 

 whose researches are the basis of hydrogenation of 

 petroleum. The great scientists, however, accomphshed 

 their work largely because of their own interest and 

 without recognition of science by the Government 

 which depended for its needs m this field principally 

 upon the work of Germany and France. Many foreign 

 scientists and technicians were employed as consultants 

 and all scientific apparatus was imported. Handicaps 

 of publication of research results were great in the 

 Czarist days. Before the revolution industrial research 

 was practically nonexistent although noteworthy work 

 had been done in platinum and petroleum. Scientific 

 education began to be sought and new educational 

 facilities served to train some of the first Soviet scien- 

 tists. Many of the graduates, however, escaped from 

 the country during the period of the First World War, 

 the Revolution, and the civil war, and others refused 

 to cooperate with the new system. 



Under the Soviet regime science and research became 

 part of the plan for the upbuilding of the new state. 

 The initial problems of creating a Soviet science and 

 technique, while at the same time solving the urgent 

 needs of reconstruction, were exceedingly difficult. But 



ample money was provided and men were made 

 avadablo although for the most part poorly trained. 

 Many foreign technicians and consultants were em- 

 ployed to assist in starting up new industries. Edu- 

 cational facilities were increased, many scientists finally 

 cooperating upon realization that the new Government 

 intended to permit them much greater freedom and im- 

 portance than they had ever enjoyed previously. In the 

 decade from 1927 considerable progress was made. 

 Science and industry were closely coordinated, new 

 teclmical schools, universities, and government research 

 institutes were established. More recently, in accord- 

 ance with the Soviet-German agreement, German 

 scientists and technicians have been rendermg services 

 in production and technology, particularly in the ferti- 

 lizer, textile, and petroleum industries. 



The first basic difl'erence between research in the 

 Soviet Union and in Western Europe is its mtegral re- 

 lationship with social life rather than any peculiarities 

 of technical methods. The primary object of Soviet 

 science is the welfare of the workers rather than an in- 

 creasing profits from production. Workers are en- 

 couraged to assist actively in the application of science 

 to industry. The second important difference mheres 

 in the high degree of integration of Soviet science. The 

 problems are not faced separately but as an intercon- 

 nected whole. Science is synthesized into a unit — not 

 compartmentalized — in its attack upon them. The 

 relations of laboratories and institutes to universities 

 and industry are carefully planned. The size of agri- 

 culture and industry necessary to produce the material 

 needs of the population during the next 40 years are 

 calculated. Appropriate provision is made for the 

 equipment and research institutes required by each 

 industry after careful study. 



Coordination of research programs is accomplished 

 by a series of committees, each of which lays out a gen- 

 eral plan for each year. Conferences are held between 

 representatives of fundamental and applied research 

 on the one hand and applied research and industry on 

 tiie other hand, so that a high degree of coordination 

 is maintained between all branches of research and 

 industry. These conferences serve to advance the 

 Soviet policy of rapid introduction of inventions and 

 research findings into industry. 



The percentage of outstanding research workers in 

 Russia is small. The huge niunber of poorly trained 

 and mediocre researchers results in inefficiency, although 

 the mass effort is bound to produce many useful rcsidts. 

 Some of the contributions of research have been excel- 

 lent, but on the other hand many are known to be 

 unreliable and superficial. 



In the Soviet plan of organized research the talents 

 of individual research workers receive special conside- 

 ration. For those who show unusual talent and ability, 



