POLICY MAKER. On leave from the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Ragnar Rollefson, heads the State Department's new Office of International Scientific Affairs, helps map policy for U.S. science activities
Science Gets Foreign Policy Role State Department scraps science adviser setup, creates more influential Office of International Scientific Affairs A new, top-level Office of International Scientific Affairs has taken charge of all scientific activities of the State Department. It supersedes the department's old science adviser setup. Made the equivalent of a bureau, the newly-created office will give science a louder voice in formulating and executing U.S. foreign policy. Heading the office is Dr. Ragnar Rollefson, who is on leave from the physics department of the University of Wisconsin. As the State Department's new principal science officer, Dr. Rollefson will have a dual mission: • To mesh scientific and technological components into the department's foreign-policy-making machinery. • To act as adviser to the department, other government agencies, and the scientific community on matters concerning science and technology in foreign affairs. More specifically, Dr. Rollefson will participate actively in the development of general foreign policy to see
that proper consideration is given to scientific and technological factors. This is the first time that a scientific position has been elevated to a policymaking level in the Department of State. Dr. Rollefson will help map policy for U.S. international science activities—space exploration, oceanography, peaceful uses of atomic energy, and the like—and provide guidance to these programs. And he will recommend new activities in the field of science and technology designed to further the foreign policy objectives of the United States. Organization. Dr. Rollefson's office staff will be relatively compact. It will consist of a deputy director, an executive director, a senior science officer, and three subgroups dealing with general scientific affairs, outer space, and atomic energy. The second in command is Edwin M. J. Kretzmann, who will act as senior political officer. Executive Director Arthur E. Pardee will double as chief executive officer and coordi-
nator of State's blossoming science attaché program. The post of Senior Science Officerdesigned to be Dr. Rollefson's main contact with the scientific community —is as yet unfilled. It will be one of the chief responsibilities of the Senior Science Officer to keep the office informed of significant breakthroughs in science and technology. Below these posts, at the working level, the office is set up along three lines: general scientific affairs, outer space affairs (peaceful uses), and atomic energy (peaceful uses). General Scientific Affairs, as the name implies, is concerned with the broad sweep of bilateral and multilateral science programs—physical, biological, and others—in which the U.S. is and will be active. Bigger Role. In the works for some time (C&EN, July 9, page 23), the science reorganization at State was brought about by a number of factors, Mr. Pardee tells C&EN. "Actually," he explains, "it was the result of a gradual build-up, a growing realization within the department that science is playing an increasingly greater role in foreign policy. Secretary Rusk recognized the need for strengthening the position of science within the department. And this was backed up by President Kennedy's recommendation to focus new attention on scientific considerations in U.S. foreign affairs." Mr. Pardee credits State's departing Science Advisor, Dr. Walter G. Whitman, with helping to set the stage for the new office. Dr. Whitman, formerly professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had served as State science adviser since fall of 1960. "He (Dr. Whitman) took us to the first stage, that is, getting the department used to the new science program and the services it provides," Mr. Pardee says. "During his tenure, there was a recognition that the former office that dealt with the peaceful uses of outer space and atomic energy should be a part of the science adviser's office. So we merged that office with the old office of the science adviser. We are now moving from this step to the next level—that is, moving the science operation from a strictly staff capacity to an independent operating bureau," Mr. Pardee explains. Under the new organizational setup, Dr. Rollefson, as director of the new OCT. 1, 1962 C & E N
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Office of International Scientific Affairs reports directly to the Secretary of State. "In the old days," Mr. Pardee explains, "the science adviser and the head of the atomic energy and outer space office pretty much reported to the Deputy Undersecretary for Political Affairs. They were called on by the Secretary for individual matters, but the line was not as direct." Not a Stranger. Dr. Rollefson is no stranger to government service. During World War II, he worked with the radar laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After the war, he served as chief scientist at the
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Arthur E. Pardee Science attache's role is changing Naval Research Laboratory field station in Boston. Dr. Rollefson again interrupted his career at Wisconsin in 1951 to help start the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 1954 to work for the President's Scientific Advisory Committee, and in 1956 to serve a year as chief scientist of the Army. "Science," he tells C&EN, "continues to force itself more and more into our foreign relations." This was exemplified again recently by the international furor over high altitude U.S. nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific and by the reaction of radioastronomers throughout the world to the Air Force's attempt to put into orbit around the earth a band of tiny copper filaments for communications studies, he says. "In our foreign aid programs with the developing countries, scientific and technical help sometimes can be more important than any other factor," Dr. Rollefson points out. Science, he says, is truly international. "Meteorology and oceanog-
raphy, for example, cannot be national programs. The scientist's battle against disease and pestilence, the engineer's attempt to convert sea water to fresh—these are matters of concern to people all over the world," he stresses. More Science Attaches. The State Department is in the process of expanding and bolstering its science attaché program. Currently, a total of 17 science attachés are abroad manning 10 posts: London, Paris, Bonn, Stockholm, Rome, New Delhi, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Bern, and Rio de Janeiro. "We are now in the process of assigning officers to Tel Aviv and Karachi, and hope to recruit attachés for Cairo and Canberra this year," Mr. Pardee says. "We hope to extend the program to Moscow and other cities such as Warsaw and Bogota next year," he adds. New Role. The Rio de Janeiro office, established earlier this year, serves as a regional science office for Latin America. Representatives from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense work under the general supervision of the science attaché. Its establishment, Mr. Pardee says, points up the changing role of the science attaché. "In the past, the science attaché pretty much served in an advisory capacity to the ambassador," he explains. He presented a general image of American science to the foreign scientific communitybuilding up contacts and associations with that community. "However, because of the large number of research programs in Latin America supported by United States agencies, the need was felt to avoid working at cross purposes," Mr. Pardee says. "It was felt that the ambassador should be in a position to have some say concerning the scientific programs initiated in these countries in order that they would contribute to our foreign policy objectives," he explains. "The space age is demanding that the Department of State play a bigger role in scientific affairs," Mr. Pardee adds. The negotiations that are going on world-wide for tracking stations for the U.S. space program, the atomic energy developments in various countries—these are just two factors that are bringing the State Department more and more into scientific affairs, Mr. Pardee believes.
from abstract ideas...fundamental knowledge at Esso Research
Ionic micelles can produce large and specific changes in the rates of ionic chemical reactions. In order to char acterize the basic factors responsible for these changes and to use the kinetic measurements to provide evidence con cerning the structure of micelles, a chemist at Esso Research has conducted a study of the effects of micelle forma tion on the rate of hydrolysis of alkyl sulfate salts. This hydrolysis proceeds by three paths—hydronium ion catalysis, hy droxide ion catalysis, and uncatalyzed solvolysis. T h e H 3 0 + catalyzed reac tion is strongly accelerated by the
association of the alkyl sulfate ions into micelles, while the O H - catalyzed re action is strongly inhibited and the uncatalyzed solvolysis rate remains substantially unchanged. These results support the hypothesis that the large rate effects are due to the electrostatic potential of the micelle with respect to the bulk solution. T h e data allow a direct calculation of the electrostatic potential of the micelle; they also provide a novel method for determining the critical micelle concentration. In addition, the data for the three reactions may be interpreted to yield information
concerning the structure of the outer layers of the micelle proper and of the electrical double layer surrounding the micelle. These rate effects imply the possi bility of a widely applicable method for controlling ionic chemical reactions through the exploitation of micelle structure.
. . . adapted from the scientist's notes at
Esso Research and EngineeringCompany (P. O. Box 45Β, Linden, New Jersey)
scientific affiliate of Humble Oil & Refining
Company
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How effective can an insecticide be? The perfect insecticide will probably never be developed. What kills one species may only make another angry. And what kills a great-great-grandfather weevil may have no effect on the greatgreat-grandson because of the insect's astounding ability to develop immunities. But, Union Carbide Chemicals Company has recently developed a new product, SEVIN* insecticide (1 naphthyl N-methylcarbamate), that is one of the most promising bug-killers to come on the market. SEVIN insecticide is a contact and stomach poison that kills by destroying the enzymes that affect nerve action, and it has been found highly effective against a very broad range of insects, including many of those that have developed immunities to other products. It requires no special protective clothing or unusual precautions when applied, and is classified among the safer insecticides now in use. Dairy farmers have taken a particular interest in SEVIN insecticide, in view of the Food and Drug Administration law that placed the tolerance for insecticides in milk at zero. Tests show that forage with SEVIN can be fed to cows without residue problems in milk. To produce SEVIN insecticide, Union Carbide uses USS Naphthalene because of its reliability and consistency. You can obtain the same high standards when you specify any one of the full line chemicals from United States Steel. *Registered trademark of Union Carbide Chemicals Company
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METALLOCENES take a close look... at t h e s e new p r o d u c t s f r o m Arapahoe's continuing research in the field of Organometallics.
COBALTOCENE (Dicyclopentadienylcobalt) —Inhibits polymerization of olefins —Is a hydrocarbon-soluble source of cobalt
Employment barometers continue to point toward unsettled business weather ahead. And the crux of the problem seems to focus on the lack luster record of factory employment this year—this despite the fact that factory production has been running at record levels and even though to tal employment is at an all-time high of about 7 0 million. In August, for example, the unad justed factory workweek held un changed. But seasonal factors alone, such as an end to vacation periods, called for a slight rise. As a result, the workweek, which often rises and falls ahead of the over-all economy, declined for the fourth straight month, on a seasonally adjusted basis. At 4 0 . 2 hours, it was at the lowest level since last January, and only 0.2 hour ahead of a year ago. At the same time, the increase in factory employment during August to 16.9 million also was less than nor mal for a month. And while the num ber of factory workers was nearly 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 higher than in August 1 9 6 1 and 8 0 0 , 0 0 0 higher than at its 1 9 6 1 low, the total also is 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 under the May 1960 prerecession peak. In fact, most of the growth in nonfarm employment since the last re-
cession has been in trade, finance, service, and government functions, all of which are above their prerecession employment peak now. On the other hand, employment in mining, con struction, and transportation and public utilities has shown even less growth in the past year and a half than that in manufacturing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics at tributes a large part of the weakness in the August labor figures to a sharper curtailment in automobile production during that month than for any similar model changeover period of the past 20 years. Thus Labor De partment experts are not too con cerned about the j u m p in unemploy ment in August to 5 . 8 % of the labor force after July's drop to 5 . 3 % , the lowest level in more than two years. But the outlook for further improve ment, at least in laggard manufactur ing employment, is not promising. A survey of 175 manufacturing firms made by the National Industrial Con ference Board shows that 5 5 % ex pect no change in their factory em ployment from the level of last May during the rest of this year. Only 2 9 % expect to increase their work forces, while 1 6 % foresee a decline during the remainder of the year.
TITANOCENE DICHLORIDE (Dicyclopentadienyltitanium Dichloride) -Can be converted to sol uble polymerization cata lysts
Write
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EMPLOYMENT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
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ARAPAHOE CHEMICALS, INC. 2855 WALNUT STREET · BOULDER, COLORADO PRODUCERS OF FINE ORGANIC CHEMICALS
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics,
Chemicals and Allied Products
This Week In Business
OCTOBER
1,
1962
PRICES ALL WHOLESALE COMMODITIES VS. CHEMICALS
1957-1959=100
INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
RUBBER PRODUCTS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
DRUGS
AVERAGE WEEKLY HOURS
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS
Production Workers
Production W o r k e r s
CHEMICALS AND ALLIED PRODUCTS
CHEMICALS AND ALLIED PRODUCTS
ALL MANUFACTURING ALL MANUFACTURING
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1,
1962
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