Oh, Dr. Maxis didn't know of Griffin Station or the multiple successful experiments there. Well, in my thoughts, anyway. The amount of effort Dr. Richtofen had to put into it by smuggling materials and such out of the other members labs seems like too much hassle if he had clearance for it already, and the MDT would have been declared a triumph long before the outbreak and plan came into things. I'm more concerned with the idea that they had computers BEFORE the station was built, and they were common knowledge to 935 at large back as early as 1939, even. I forget which radio made me think that the computers were around at the time (I'll check that in a second), but the fact that they are present at Griffin Station is what made the idea click.
I... sort of doubt Dr. Maxis truly being for the human condition, but that's for another place. It just seems to me that if they had all of those things, gathering some funds together in order to stay independent of government influence wouldn't be terribly difficult. Not even giving the whole picture away, the idea of a fully working circuit board of that level, plus data storage, would have been phenomenal. I mean, the Datenbediensteter exists, which means there was a computer around for him to use it with. Beyond Mr. Zuse's level of complexity in even his latest models (Thank you for that lovely read, Steeler), to the point of 21'st century levels of late 20'th century at earliest. The amount of money a private contractor would pay for a tiny, life-changing piece of technology that wouldn't even be a whole invention would be phenomenal, without getting in the way of the whole "international coalition of scientists" fun they had going. Other scientists could have worked it out who were not affiliated with the Group, and they get a crud load of royalties.
I mean really, funding wouldn't have been nearly as big of an issue if Dr. Maxis had thought of it instead of- Not the place, but you get my point. Those computers were a gold mine. It would have helped humanity. It might not have sold as well with war brewing as it would during peace time, but it still could have had a major impact while allowing neutrality. Scientific Switzerland.