News and Views... ACS Washington News Bureau = = = = = = Selective
% A L L E G G I N , Associate Editor
Service
ments can be filled solely through voluntary enlistments. According to the War Department they do not plan to induct men in the higher age brackets after July 1 despite the 19 to 45 authorization. The present policy of calling men only up t o the age of 29 will continue.
C O N G R E S S has again omitted provisions ^ for the over-all group deferment of scientific and technical personnel in the Selective Service Law which went into effect July 1. The compromise bill which was whisked through both Houses of Congress in one day by overwhelming majorities did not include the Senate amendment, introduced by Senator Magnuson, providing for the deferment from military training and service of certain students in scientific and research activities. The conferees, in attempting to reach an agreement on the divergent views of both houses on group deferments, were of the opinion that the existing law contains adequate authority for whatever deferments of scientific and engineering students and other personnel may be necessary. Many Congressmen felt that some provision for the deferment of scientific personnel should be included but were fearful of violent repercussions from other similar groups if they should permit only one select group t o be exempt. Under the present law each case will be judged individually by the various draft boards. Should certain individuals, whose work is considered essential to the health and welfare of the Nation, be called for induction, appeals should be made. According to a Selective Service spokesman every consideration for deferment will be given to scientific students and those engaged in scientific activities. With a temporary postponement of induction, universities and organizations concerned with the problem of immediate induction of their scientific personnel now have an opportunity to review their cases and file up-to-date deferment applications. The Selective Service Law, now continued until March 31, 1947, has no provisions for a "draft holiday", but the War Department volunteered a two-month holiday on inductions. Secretary of War Patterson stated that the Army will make no manpower requisitions during July and August pending a stepped-up drive for volunteers. At the end of that period some 52,000 men between 19 and 30 will be available for the draft. About 13,000 are expected to be called in September and an average of 7,000 each month thereafter unless voluntary enlistments fill the Army's requirements. Secretary Patterson also stated that he hopes the Army's manpower requireV O L U M E
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War Department
Civilians
During the past six months the War Department has been conducting a vigorous campaign to hire trained civilian scientific and technical personnel to meet its needs for the expanded research and development program. To date this campaign has been fairly successful with many young technical men, but all these efforts will go for naught with the present War Department policy regarding deferments from the draft. According to an Kvmy circular, no requests for deferment upon any circumstances shall bê made for anyone in the War Department. This whole situation appears a bit confusing and wasteful with Army, on one hand, making every effort to get young technical men, and on the other not attempting to keep those they now have in their laboratories. This regulation may now keep many young men, between 20 and 30, from accepting the Army technical positions. Those men who have considered working for the War Department will now turn to industrial positions since there they have an opportunity for deferment, whereas in the Army they have no opportunity whatsoever. Patent
Conference
Of considerable interest to the chemical industry will be the forthcoming conference in London for the long-range exploitation of patents of German origin now being held by allied nations. Representatives of these various allied nations, including the United States, France, England, Poland, Denmark, Canada, and Australia will meet on July 10 to reach an agreement for making available to all peoples free licensing of all Germanowned patents. T h e United States, which now has approximately 40,000 of these patents, has already made them available, but other allied nations, such as France, which has more than 80,000 German-owned patents, have not initiated any such action. The mutual free use of all patents of German origin will eliminate any such embargoes -
JULY
10,
1946
Q "i
and encourage a free world trade. The United States will be represented by seven members from the State Department, Alien Property Custodian, Patent Office, and Office of the Publication Board. Patent Lectures Inventors and patentees may receive improved service from patent examiners in the future as a result of some recent progressive policies instituted b y the Commissioner of Patents. A recent advancement is a lecture series for patent examiners on the developments in the scientific fields during t h e war years. It is felt that the strides made in scientific development during t h e war were so rapid that few examiners were able to keep abreast. Prominent speakers from industry and government, included on the programs, will outline the most important achievements. The first biweekly series of seven lectures on electronics, started June 27, is restricted to government scientific personnel, but should interest warrant an expansion, the lectures will be opened t o industry and the public. A subsequent series of lectures will include chemistry and nuclear physics. The Office of the Publication Board stated that t h e lectures would be made available to industry and universities, possibly on recordings. SurpIns Eqιε-ipment Educational institutions may now be encouraged i n their fight for surplus laboratory and scientific equipment. The Director of War Mobilization and Re conversion has asked the services t o take active steps t o donate to educational insti tutions as many types of property, in cluding laboratory and scientific equip ment, as can he encompassed by a broad interpretation of the statutes governing their authority to donate equipment. Maj. Gen. G. B . Erskine, retraining and re-employment administrator, has been asked t o assume full authority for the program and also to serve as the con trol point of contact in Washington be tween educational institutions and the disposal agencies. A War Department spokesman stated that the majority of the surplus equip ment has already been donated to schools, but every effort will be made to survey t h e equipment now on hand and grant donations as rapidly as possible. 1765
