The
Core»*- . . .
Mission on Science and Technology A STAFF REPORT .1 HE rectrat announcement that a mission on science a n d technology will be established in t h e U. S. Embassy in London constitutes the first formal provision at the diplomatic level for assistance to science and scientists in regard to overseas developments. T h e role of science in winning wars h a s been recognized in t h e past as witnessed by the establishment of the N a t i o n a l Academy of Sciences during t h e Civil W a r , the establishment of t h e N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h Council during World W a r I, a n d t h e broad organization of science under t h e Office of Scientific R e search and Development during World W a r I I . A n d although the O S R D a n d various branches of t h e a r m e d forces maintained active liaison with their British and Canadian counterparts during the recent war, this is t h e first t i m e t h a t the collection of scientific information from a b r o a d and the maintenance of liaison between American scientists and those of other countries have been recognized a s a legitimate function of peacetime diplomatic activity. Rotation
oj Service
Emphasised
T h e mission will operate a s a p e r m a n e n t a n d regular unit of the S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t in a m a n n e r similar t o groups on commerce, economics, and cultural affairs, whose functions it will complement in the operation of t h e embassy. The principal difference, however, will be t h a t while the o t h e r offices a r e staffed with p e r m a n e n t personnel, the positions in t h e mission on science a n d technology will be filled by scientists o n temporary d u t y . H e a d of the mission will be Earl A. E v a n s , Jr., chairman of the d e p a r t m e n t of biochemistry, University of Chicago. T h e central staff of the mission will consist of four or five scientists, who will serve for terms of u p to one year on a rotating basis, and a p e r m a n e n t group of administ r a t i v e assistants, who will perforin the r o u t i n e functions of the mission a n d give it a continuity of operation. I n addition t o the central staff during t h e c o m i n g year, there will be t w o groups of four men each serving on shorter terms of three t o four months. One of these g r o u p s will deal with clinical medicine a n d surgery, a n d the other will be concerned with nonmedical biology, including b o t a n y , zoology, animal husbandry, and so forth. While s m a l l , t h e mission will cover all fields of science b y means of rotation of service. T h e fields to be represented on t h e initial staff will include biochemistry, o r g a n i c c h e m i s t r y , physics, engineering, biology, and agronomy. But as these
3638
scientists complete their terms of duty, they will be replaced by scientists representing new fields so t h a t eventually, all principal b r a n c h e s of science will h a v e been represented in the mission. According to Dr. Evans, most of t h e positions are filled, but t h e a p p o i n t m e n t s h a v e n o t yet been announced. Commenting on t h e character of the mission, D r . Evans s t a t e s his belief t h a t it is not possible for really valuable reports on a field t o be m a d e by other t h a n specialists in t h e field. He feels, therefore, t h a t for s u c h a mission it is necessary to employ t h e services of scientists who are close t o their respective fields, scientists and technologists who carry with them a background of experience qualifying them to perform the critical functions t h a t will be required. A p e r m a n e n t staff of scientists possessing such qualifications would not only be difficult to assemble but would b e much t o o large for the assignment. A small r o t a t i n g staff, on the other hand, will enable the mission both to o b t a i n the services of m e n of senior standing and to ensure complete coverage of all fields of science a n d technology within a given period. In order t o attain these objectives, t h e t o p personnel of the mission will consist of scientists on short leave of absence from their positions in academic institutions or government laboratories t o which they will return upon completing their assignments. Fitting i n t o t h e plan of t e m p o r a r y duty, all scientific personnel will b e officers of the Foreign Service Reserve, a branch t h a t was constituted some time ago to permit the S t a t e D e p a r t m e n t to a p p o i n t specialists a t any desired level w i t h o u t requiring t h e m to go t h r o u g h t h e long period of training t h a t is c u s t o m a r y in the regular diplomatic service. A p p o i n t ments to t h e Foreign Service Reserve are for limited periods. The agency responsible for supervising the mission a n d directing its policy is an interagency committee under t h e chairmanship of t h e Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs. Represented on this committee are the N a t i o n a l R e search Council, the National Academy of Sciences, t h e Army, the N a v y , the D e p a r t ments of Agriculture, Commerce, a n d Interior, t h e Joint Research a n d Development Board, and the Federal Security Agency. T h i s committee is constituted as a domestic steering mechanism a n d will establish t h e principles under which t h e mission will operate. The principal function of the mission on science a n d technology will be to facilitate Anglo-American scientific cooperation
CHEMICAL
in every respect. This does not extend to military matters, however, states D r . Evans, who emphasizes t h a t the mission is a civilian agency and t h a t it is concerned solely with m a t t e r s of fundamental and applied science. In its broader aspects, the mission will a c t as a source of information on British science for governmental agencies and scientific societies in t h e United States, a n d it will supply to interested persons a n d agencies in Great Britain information concerning current developments in science a n d technology in this country. In addition to these b r o a d guiding principles, the mission is charged with the performance of certain specific functions which include facilitating the exchange of scientific personnel between t h e United States and G r e a t Britain, and m a i n t a i n ing close personal c o n t a c t with British governmental agencies a n d other research institutions in t h e United Kingdom. T h e mission is p a t t e r n e d after the British Commonwealth Office in Washington and will serve as a p r o t o t y p e for the establishment of similar missions by t h e United States in other countries. Lilly
Award
Winner
At 37, Earl Alison E v a n s , Jr.. who will head the mission, a l r e a d y has a distinguished scientific career to his credit. For his accomplishments in biochemistryhe was given t h e Eli Lilly and C o . Award a t t h e Memphis meeting of the AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY in
1942.
His first work, at J o h n s Hopkins, was concerned with the chemistry of insulin and the etiology of t e t a n u s toxins. T h e n at Columbia he took u p the use of stable isotopes to s t u d y the chemistry of sterols and fat metabolism. A t Chicago he turned to the use of short-lived radioisotopes to study intermediary carbohydrate metabolism a n d clarified t h e role of carbon dioxide in the synthesis of a-ketoglutarie acid from pyruvic acid in vitro. In demonstrating the enzymatic fixation of carbon dioxide in a n i m a l tissue, E v a n s revolutionized the prevalent concepts of the role of carbon dioxide in animal metabolism. During t h e w a r he participated in t h e O S R D antimalarial program. Born in Baltimore, D r . E v a n s did his undergraduate work a t Johus Hopkins and remained for three years a s research assistant in pharmacology at t h e medical school. A fellow a t Columbia, he received the P h . D . in 1936. T h e following year he went t o Chicago as instructor in biochemistry a n d was m a d e assistant professor in 1939, associate professor and acting head of the d e p a r t m e n t of biochemistry in 1941, professor a n d chairman of t h e d e p a r t m e n t in 1942. D r . E v a n s is familiar with t h e country in which he h a s been appointed to serve. He spent a year in E n g l a n d in 1938-39 as a Rockefeller fellow studying carbohydrate metabolism a t Sheffield. Dr. Evans will sail from New York for London Dec. 8.
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ENGINEERING
NEWS
