January 2, 195§

Dear Dr, Clowes:
Thank you for your air letter of the 23d,

I don't know where you got the idea that I was off to Europe
next year. The opportunity would be delightful, but there are no pros-
pects of it, and I cannot conceive how the rumor started? Like many others
it is quite wrong.

Your other conclusion is more accurate, Our accomodations have
been very limited (as Dr, Stocker, Spicer or Hayes might tell you); for
&@ long time, we have been promised some amelioration, but there is no
telling when the remodelling will actually be done. In that inyerval,
we would be even more cramped; thie coming year does not seem the most
auspicious time for a visit; perhaps we can leave the question open for
yhe future. If you do go elsewhere in the States, please do make an
opportunity to visit us in transit,

It would take too long to go into here, but I wish I had an
opportunity to discuss more intimately with you your last paper with
EXSHBE Rowley on linkage. There are other ways of looking at F polarity
and segregation besides Hayes! formulagion; while for many aspects of
data with haploid recombinants, it makes little difference whether the
loss of genetic material from the F¢ parent occurs at a pregametic or
& postzygotic stage, studies on diploids have strengly supporfed the
latter, Similarly, they are consistent oniy with a very precise delineation
of the points of breakage (which are assumed to be the immediate forerun-
ners of elimination). For example, the Lac locus (or Xyl or Ara,) has pever
been eliminated (i.e. hemizygous in diploids) while Mal always has, Even
more striking];, Lp and Gal, are always eliminated; Gal, (extremely close-
ly linked to ssese) never, ~ As far as Cavalli and I could tell, your
data were still interpretacle on this basis, though, unfortunately, since
the data were tabulated nly one locus at a time, rather than in the more
laberious, but more informative, pattern of a frequency list of all the
pertinent combinations, it was hard to be sure,

Indeed, If it is not too impertinent, may I raise a suggestion?
Your first letter implied that you were interested in broadening your
genetic training, If you have in mind just these problems of formal analysis
of K-12, I hardly lmow whom else in the U.S. I could recommend to you, that
would not represent a rediluted version of Bill Hayes' own formulation,
simpky because this type of work has not been widely taken up in the US
either, I would say, thouvh, that Cavalli represents perhaps the most
expert school in the formal analysis of recombinatiom in bacteria, If you
are planning to travel next year, had you thought of applying to Dr,
Cavalli at Milen? As you may know, he was here for a short while, but is
travelling through the country (or rather has gomt completed this) and
should be back home almost as soon as you receive this letter, (I will for
ward the reprint you addressed to him here), Whatever you decide, I wish
you & most profitable Wanderjahr.

As concerns my last paragraph but one, Jinks also might be able
to give another side to the story.

Yours sineerely,