MORE DOLLARS FOR SCIENCE

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28435, 15 November 1957, Page 15

MORE DOLLARS FOR SCIENCE

Knowledge For New Weapons

WASHINGTON, November 13. The United States Defence Department said tonight that it might double spending for basic research to ensure the flow of fundamental knowledge needed to “evolve novel weapons of war” in the years to come.

Dr. Orr Reynolds, the department’s science director, disclosed the planned step-up in announcing adoption of a “new policy of basic research.’’ He said that the military services now spend from 80m to 90m dollars a year on basic research.

Asked if there would be a substantial increase in such spending, Dr. Reynolds said, "I hope there will be.” Asked whether present outlays might be doubled he replied: “I do not think that it will be any more than that. “We are trying to find out how much more can profitably be spent without distorting the national s rience picture,” he said. The statement outlined these two broad aims of basic military research: “To support a broad and continuing basic research programme to assure the flow of the fundamental knowledge needed by the military departments as prime users of scientific facts and to evolve novel weapons of war. ‘‘To maintain ... an effective contact between the military departments and the scientists of the country, so that the military departments are continuously and growingly aware of new scientific developments and the scientists are aware of the military news.”