April 14, 1965

Dr. B. Cvjetanovic

Chief Medical Officer, Bacterial Diseases
Division of Communicable Diseases

World Health Organization

Palais des Nationd,

Geneva, Switzerland

Dear Dr. Crjetanovic:

I was delighted to have an opportunity to review the program submitted

under your letter of April 2 for a grant from Professor Jacob's laboratory

to allow the visit of Dr. Hirota. Dr. Jacob is one of the outstanding
biological scientists of our time and has maintained a steady output of

the most fruitful and provocative publications over many years. Dr. Hirota
was one of my most gratifying students, and has continued his own splendid
work in Japan. Nothing but good can come from the opportunity of these
workers to unite their own particular experience and background and insight,
and I would give the entire proposal my heartiest endorsement. These studies
are of the most fundamental character with respect to basic problems of
cellular growth, origin of viruses, and microbial evolution, and are very
much in the fabric of world science. Dr. Hirota has, for example, been an
important member of the Japanese group who have demonstrated the significance
of infectious genetic factors in the spread of drug-resistance among the
enteric bacteria. My only comment is one of some disappointment that Profes-
sor'gacob's request should be so modest, since $500 a month does not seem to
be a realistic measure of an appropriate cost of living in Paris, in view of
the stature of the participants. However, as a matter of policy, I suspect
it would be unwise to look behind the application in such a regard, and I

ean only urge you to give it the most sympathetic consideration.

Yours cordially,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics