March 17, 1958

Professor George Klein
Department of Tumor Biology
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm 60, Sweden

Dear George:

I apologize for the delay in my response to your letter of March 1 but I was
on a trip.

Thank you so much for your help in the financing of our trip. ‘The funds you
offer together with the grants we have been able to accumulate here will unquestion-
ably make it feasible fu us to ccm. Perhaps untoctfully I repliec to Heden that
we had recelvad a fair sum from cther sources, nct giving the details, and that one
or two hundred dollars would be all we would ask for from him. I can tell you that
even this might be unnaceasary but I am not yet sure. In any case, as we indicated,

we would certainiy be willing to ahe up a difference of this mgnitude from our own
resources.

I do not think there will be serious difficulty about the currency converaion.
W@ Gan discuss this when gou visit Madisun. The most likely arrangement would be
for me to forward any other funds I have accumulated ani for you to purchase the
ticket in Stockholm. Frobably 1t would be prudent to make an advance inyuiry at
the S. A. 8. office about this possibility.

Esther and I are very sorry that we have had to delay go long in submitting
titles and abstracts. We would each like to read a paper as follors:

l. By Esther M. Lederberg "Prophage segregation in Escherichia coli K-12"

2. By Joshua Lederberg "extranuclear transmission of the F agent in
Escherichia cold K-12",

We will make every effort to forward the abstracts covered by these titles in
good time. ije will not be distressed if the abstracts fail to appear in print,
but I suspect this would be contrary to your preferences.

I certainly do not want to make an issue of the qestion of the time of you
arrival, Perhaps the best prospact would be for you to keep your present reserva-
tions and to wait until you have reached Gatlinburg before deciding whether to
alter your plans.

I woier if Heden showed you the letter which he received from Penso about the
cosmic microbiology question. I was more than a little annoyed at the theatrical
opportunism which Penso's reply spoke for. Nothing could be more harmful to a
Page 2 - March 17, 1958
Professor George Klein

sober discussion of plans for the microbiological investigation of space than for
it to be initiated with such an attitude. However, perhaps he was joking at least
in part and after an initial reaction of amusemnt it might be possible to get
down to serious business. I hope I will have some occasion to digcuss this further
with you and that meantime you and Heden will simply use your native good sense in
making immediate decisions. I had hoped that the Congress might be a rare oppor—
tunity to coms to some meeting of minds with our colleagues from other countries
who may be able to influence the planning of scientific space missions. However,
perhaps the vongress is not, after all, the best agency for this purpose.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Yours sincerely,

Josma Lederberg
Professor of Medical Genetics

JL/ew