CONFIDENTIAL

July 12, 1989

Dr. Kenichi Matsubara

Institute for Molecular and Cellular
Biology

Osaka University

1-3, Yamada-oka, Suita

Osaka, 565 JAPAN

Dear Kenichi,

I am just back from the HUGO meeting in Moscow, stopping off in England
for three days to discuss genome matters in London, Cambridge, and Norwich. In
London, I received the good news that the Welcome Trust will consider a request
from HUGO for 300,000 pounds ($500,000) over three years to make possible the
appointment of a Secretary General, the key person who will coordinate the
activities of the various HUGO offices. They also talked about the possibilities of
locating the European HUGO office in their new headquarters near Euston Station,
to which they will move in approximately two years. The Welcome Trust will have
assets ( six billion dollars) equivalent to those of the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute and their new headquarters, with conference rooms, etc. could be a superb
site for HUGO activities. Further support of $100,000 yearly is likely to come from
the Russian Human Genome Effort. Equally important Jean Dausset and Francois
Gros have directly talked to Mitterand and I believe we can count on a real French
contribution.

In the States, Hughes is considering a request from HUGO for $1,500,000
over three years to help support the Bethesda office which initially will focus on the
worldwide distribution of the various databases, as well as the sponsoring of
chromosome specific meetings, that bring together the genetic and physical
mappers. It is our hope to have this office, to be located in the Hughes building on
the NIH campus in operation by the mid-fall with a staff of at least two senior
people.
Dr. Kenichi Matsubara
July 11, 1989
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Now I, of course, am anxious to learg whether your country also will be a real
member providing financial support commensurate with Japan’s stature as a great
nation. A sum of 300,000 dollars per year contributed to the operation of the
Secretary General, would be the appropriate sum. Anything less would imply a half-
hearted commitment, and could be a continuing source of ill-will and resentment.
This is an opportunity for Japan to play a major role in what will be one of the great
achievements of modern science. If Japan fails to enter fully into this enterprise, it
will be a very public demonstratiog that Japan does not want to mount a serious
mapping and sequencing effort(pro on human DNA despite-its- formidable —__<—

or exploiting discoveries nade by other counties, y, | do not see how |
Japan can expect to benefit from the genome efforts of other countries if Japan itself
does not contribute in full.

Whether Japan will make such a commitment, seems to me purely a
Japanese matter. Upon reflection, I now believe it would be counterproductive for
me to come to Japan next November to speak to your government science policy
makers, either about your own national genome effort or about your potential
contribution to HUGO. Japan has to make up its own mind if visits from outsiders
are not to be a waste of time for all concerned.

Of course, I would be pleased to receive any Japanese policy making
delegation which wanted to talk to me at NIH.

If you decide to become a real player on the HUGO scene, I would be pleased
to come to Japan to talk about concrete plans for a coordinated effort.

Yours sincerely,

James D. Watson
JDW/as Director