Perspectives on Naval Research 131 



take them wherever we can find them. Hence, we must be in 

 contact with the body of scientists generally, both in this coun- 

 try and abroad. As Sir Solly Zuckerman pointed out so ably 

 this afternoon, the ideas of science transcend political bound- 

 aries. Yet our need to reach the profession does not explain by 

 itself why we must have an ONR. For a fuller understanding, 

 we must return again to the ideas set out in Vannevar Bush's 

 report. 



It is fundamental to the approach of basic research that 

 scientific truth must be pursued on its own terms, governed 

 by internal standards of relevance, and free from pressures of 

 external purpose. The lifeblood of good science requires respect 

 for and faith in this internal integrity of science. Basic research 

 cannot directly confront social, or political, or military pur- 

 poses. This is not a weakness, but a quintessential characteristic 

 which gives research its strentgh. If, therefore, the government 

 is to strike a bargain with research, if it is to support it in the 

 fashion that ensures best performance, there is need for a spe- 

 cial buffer organ which sees to it that the interests of both parties 

 are advanced. This buffer is the government organization which 

 functions as a "middle-man" between the scientific, generally 

 discipline oriented communities and the operating government 

 agency with its mission purpose. ONR functions in this man- 

 ner for the Navy. As such, its success in the deepest sense has 

 been the result of the creative role which it has played between 

 the researcher in the private community and the long-term 

 needs of the Navy. ONR has deliberately not compromised the 

 motives of the researchers in academic establishments or non- 

 academic laboratories; at the same time, however, it has sought 

 to shape an overall program of research which would assure 

 contributions to the solution of long-term Navy problems. 

 Moreover, as new technologies have opened up, ONR has ac- 

 tively promoted the Navy's commitment to them so that the line 

 organizations with development responsibility might begin to 

 learn something about them for later practical exploitation. 

 Still, it will happen occasionally that some elements of the 



