Jamary 27, 1958

Dr. G. W, Beadle

Kerekhoff Laboratories

California Institute of Technolozy
Fasadena 4, California

Dear Beets:

It was a little difficult to anewer the questionnaire because I have
what may be unerthedex views concerning the underlying assumption. These
are founded party on my general investiratorial experience, partly from
my term on the genetics panel of the old COG.

The ACS certainly performed a very useful service just after the war
in supporting basie research programe. At the present time, however, it
very largely duplicates the efferte of the NSF and NIH in this field,
Part of my own preference for dealing with these agencies is their lack
of conmitment of any kind for ultimate application in any specific disease,
I realize that cancer research administration is heard put to suggest any
mere likely appreach than a similar basic emphasis, But it surprises me
that && the ACS should sustain any very serious interest in such a pupli-
cation, when there arecso many things it can do which are beyond the vision
and policies of the federal agencies, I have in mind, of course, the career
investigatorships, the institutional grants, and so It could also do
yeoman's service is providing smaller special grante on the shortest notice
for ‘enercency situations’, If the ACS stays in basic research at all, it
can make a unique contribution along these several lines,

I can even question this last premise, mainly on the personal predilection
that the ACS did lead the way in popular orientation to, and the neecessary
education for, basic research, but that its particular method for financing
{it is much lesa sound than the federal agencies’. I do net see that basic
research workers in the U.S, would be very much distressed if the ACS were
to pull out of the picture altogether, in the course of time, and this would
pretty muchrgeneve the questions and possible feelings of inconsistency that
underlie the present questionnaiss,

I vealize that I am hardly qualified to tell the ACS how to pursue its
basic policies, and that these will (and bhould) hardly be credited as
more than one man's opinion,

Sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg