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December 5, 1967

Mr. Peter Lawton

Australian Cyctic Fibrosis Association
G.P.0. Box 368E

Brisbane, Queensland

Australia

Dear Mr. Lawton:

Thank you for your insightful letter of November 19. You had every
reason to relate my remarks to your humanitarian concerns about cyatic
fibrosis. I wish I could be more explicit about how soon new genetic
approaches could be of prattical utility in treating this and many other
heart-rending afflictions. The time that it takes to do this will be
directly related to the investment in basic biological research which,

unhappily, is constantly being attenuated by short-sighted deflections
into other commitments.

The reference to the use of viruses was based on my own work on trans-
duction in bacteria and on more recent suggestions by Dr. Stanfield Rogers
of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His paper appeared in the December1R0,

1966 issue of Nature, which will surely be readily available in your local
library.

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I am enclosing a couple of articles that bear on this subject. You may
be interested that these appear on a regular weekly basis in the Melbourne
Age.

Youre sincerely,

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