THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, Hon. CHARLES A. WOLVERTON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. WOLVERTON: This is with reference to bills H. R. 3059, H. R. 3762, H. R. 5087, and H. R. 5159, each providing for the establishment of an organization to be devoted to studies of the cause, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the heart and circulation. I regret that I have been unable to appear before your committee to discuss these bills with you, but I would like to present to you the views of the Military Establishment concerning them. Although somewhat different in character, H. R. 3464, a bill to establish a Medical Research Agency, may conveniently be discussed with them. There can be no doubt that private resources are insufficient to support research, particularly basic research, on a scale sufficient to provide for our national health, security, and industrial progress. This has long been recognized, as you know, for the Government has for many years been active both in the conduct of research and in its support. Increased Government support of research and scientific education is now of great urgency, but the manner in which such support is furnished is of the utmost importance. We must be careful that Government-sponsored research activities, other than those necessary for the Government's own operations, are supplementary to research by private organizations and not in competition with it. Moreover, Government financial support must not be used to dominate private research. We must also assure ourselves that research activities throughout the Nation form a well-balanced pattern with adequate effort in all of the major areas and without undue concentration in one or a few particular fields. Any unbalance, under present conditions of shortage of scientific personnel, is likely to have an exaggerated effect, for a concentration of financial support in one field tends not only fully to occupy specialized facilities but also to attract scientists, students, and adaptable facilities to that field to the detriment of other equally important fields of study or research. In my opinion, such a balance and a sound integrated effort without undesirable competition may best be achieved by establishing a single agency competent to evaluate on a continuing basis the efforts being made not only in each of the different fields within medical research but also in other sciences. Such an agency would then be in a position to offer support for those important fields which were being neglected and it should have sufficient flexibility of operation to arrange shifts in emphasis from time to time as available private resources vary and as the stage of knowledge in the different fields vary relative to each other. Legislation to establish such an agency, a National Science Foundation, is presently before your committee and Dr. Bush is preparing a report containing the views of the Military Establishment concerning it. Each of the group of bills here under discussion, however, would establish by legislative action a special organization devoted to only one of the multitude of fields within the category of medical research. I do not mean to minimize the importance of research on heart and circulatory diseases but neither am I convinced that they warrant such special attention. Moreover, the enactment of H. R. 5159, H. R. 5087, or H. R. 3762 is believed unnecessary, as the Public Health Service, within its existing authority, can conduct research and grant fellowships in the field of heart and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the National Science Foundation if established could and presumably would transfer funds for research on heart disorders to the Public Health Service to the extent it deemed appropriate in the light of the research needs of the Nation. The need or utility for establishing a National Heart Institute is therefore open to serious doubt. H. R. 3059 although exceedingly broad in terms would probably have an effect similar to the above mentioned bills and hence would be open to the same question. On the other hand, H. R. 3464 would establish what amounts to a Science Foundation but one limited to medical research and without the administrative flexibility contained in H. R. 6007 or the other Foundation bills presently before your committee. If a Government research foundation is to be created it would be preferable to make it fully effective with authority to balance the medical research effort with research in other fields. Time has not permitted the submission of this report to the Bureau of the Budget and accordingly I am unable to state whether or not it is in accord with the President's program. Very truly yours, X FEB 2 81949 JAMES FORRESTAL. |