Kollowing progress has been cade with the co-ordinated statement of xequirewjante
ox' technical officere for the fighting Services and Supply Departoentsi
1.      Hecruitrcent for Defence Forces.       iTospects of securing officers of the
calibre required for tho Services are slender, espeoiall  for the R.A.F. end Army who
arc not prepared to offer rank on entry equivalent to that of Lieutenant Navy*
Clayton Knigftt Conmittee (Canadian AviatJon Bureau) however is being asked to
pursue posslbiUUes.
Discissions have taken place with Dr. Conant and we understand that no objection
will be raised to the enplcynent of officers provided und<r his scheme in useful
constructive capacity,       e confirms the Urclt of eight Bonths service in the U.K. but
personally considers that before officers are due for withdrawal the roeition of the
U.S. in relation to the ear will enable solution to be reached without difficulty,
c thereto e advises that we sho- Id not take official action at this stage to seeking
the rc novel of the tine Unit.       With regard to prospects of securing additional
nuaberc and clacseo of technical officers, he considers that we should bo unlikely
to secure the numbers we sought in view of the increasing deoands on the ease sources
by the U.S. For oaf*    He is prepared, hewev r, to assist n In apjroechir.g the U.S.
authorities for additional officers but strongly acvocntee that the basis of approach
should be two cables free yov, ore dealing with the questicn of expansion of the
existing soheD6 which la exolv sively associated with the Signal Corps and the other
beeking assistance in the new field covered by other requlrensnts.     He suggests that
the first shot Id eabody following pointsi-
(a) reference to the excellent quality of the officers already sent to the U.K.
(b) a statement that they were proving of the utaost assistance to the British
Government and, by reason of the experience they were gaining, would acquire,
greater value to the U.S. Government.
(c) in view of the urgency of our need i   the immediate future a request *to
explore the possibility of accelerating the provisio- of these officers
so as to double the mssbers available within the next few ronths.
(d) a rore precise otaterent of the actval nature of the duties on which the
officers would aw employed with the various Forces.
The second cable shovld consist of e request for assistance in ceetlng deficiencies
In the re gain in a categories giving particulars of nudbers required for the three
Services and a brief but adequate description of the specific duties for which their
services were required.       The request should conclude with en instruction to pursue
the possibility of establishing an organisation on lines parallel to that of the
existing/
•a-
existing Electronics Batalicn In order to sect the need for officers which could not
be net through the mcdlus of the U.S. Signal Corps.
Or, Conant thought that ee should be unltttejj to seeure nany of the
highly trained types we sought for the Supply  Departaents.    Exhaustive endeavours
already i ade to obtain the research scientists notified in foreign Office letter of
15th A gust, 19U, had so far not yielded a single candidate,    Conant agreed,
however, tliat if the proposed Aaerioan Civilian Technical Corps materialised we wight
well epiroach the U.S. avthorit5«- e with the suggestion tliat an Officers Section
should be fomed to deal with these requirements.