58 Research and National Purpose 



representation in Congress is geographical, and unless funds 

 are distributed with some relation to geography, everyone will 

 suffer to some degree in the future, including the so-called rich. 

 The significant numbers of Representatives in "have-not" areas 

 will lose interest in the support of science by the Federal 

 Government. This principle is so nearly self-evident that I 

 would have felt that it would have been recognized and adopted 

 by practically all Federal agencies long ago. Even at this late 

 date I can only urge each Federal agency to reexamine the 

 geographical distribution of its funds for basic science with the 

 thought that this will probably mean more for all in the future. 

 The argument that money must go where quality is has, of 

 course, much wisdom associated with it, but it must be realized 

 as well that human nature is such that good men will also go 

 where money is — particularly under circumstances like those 

 we now face in which funds are not rising as rapidly as the 

 scientific community could absorb them. There are those who 

 will say that this point of view is too political or too pragmatic. 

 To them I can only say that if Federal funds can be effective in 

 building up science and engineering in one part of the country, 

 they can also be effective in building up science in other parts 

 if reasonable institutions are available. 



Above all, I think it is exceedingly important that we take 

 steps at this time which will ease regional bitterness. It is true 

 that if one could concentrate all individuals having the genes, 

 both dominant and recessive, important for scientific aptitude 

 in one or two portions of the country, there might conceivably 

 be benefits to the nation as a whole. At the present time, how- 

 ever, we know far too little about human heredity to attempt 

 such a process of concentration even if it could be put into 

 effect. It seems about as likely that a potentially great scientist 

 will be born in one part of our country as in another in the 

 foreseeable future. The more nearly homogeneous we are in 

 providing the opportunities for higher education in science on 

 a reasonable basis throughout our country, the better will our 

 population be involved in science. 



