▁weapons ▁development ▁or ▁research . ▁While ▁the ▁U . S . ▁was ▁sp ending ▁very ▁little ▁time ▁on ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁research , ▁its ▁future ▁al lies ▁and ▁enemies ▁in ▁the ▁up coming ▁second ▁World ▁War ▁were ▁research ing ▁the ▁potential ▁of ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 9 3 3 ., ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁( 1 9 4 1 – 4 5 ) ▁Despite ▁the ▁World ▁War ▁I - era ▁interest ▁in ▁ric in , ▁as ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁er upt ed , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁still ▁maintained ▁the ▁position ▁that ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁were , ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part , ▁imp ract ical . ▁Other ▁nations , ▁not ably ▁France , ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁thought ▁otherwise ▁and ▁had ▁begun ▁their ▁own ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁programs . ▁Thus , ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁the ▁U . S . ▁had ▁no ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁capabilities . ▁Initial ▁interest ▁in ▁bi ological ▁weapons ▁by ▁the ▁Chem ical ▁War fare ▁Service ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁That ▁fall , ▁U . S . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁Henry ▁L . ▁Stim son ▁requested ▁that ▁the ▁National ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences ▁( N AS ) ▁undert ake ▁consideration ▁of ▁U . S . ▁bi ological ▁war fare . ▁He ▁wrote ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Frank ▁B . ▁Jew ett , ▁then ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁NAS : ▁ ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁d angers ▁that ▁might ▁confront ▁this ▁country ▁from ▁potential ▁enemies ▁employ ing ▁what ▁may ▁be