Pout a ANU BS STAAINPU RE Uleie ern oit hl © UFrrile MEMURANDUA. FO fis ir ORD

To

From

SUBJECT:

Date: April 22, 1974

Joshua Lederberg

Sidney Drell a

I looked into the question of the ARPA contract and the concerns
of Hammerschlag about ethnic warfare. My contact at ARPA is Dr. Niedenfuhr.
He said that the ARPA order and program plan has now been retired.

It was a straightforward nutrition study, the plan of which was
to help underdeveloped nations meet their own food wants. The ARPA con-
tribution was less than $3 million and consisted primarily of a survey and
estimate of the five-year food needs for Africa he said. The agent carry-
ing ou. this program for ARPA was NIH. ARPA simply gave the money to NIH
according to Dr. Niedenfuhr. There certainly was no ethnic warfare aspect
in this and Niedenfuhr told me that he had spoken with Hammerschlag and
had come to the conclusion that Hammerschlag thinks ARPA is evil. Niedenfuhr
has also told Hammerschlag that for any technical comments or competence in
connection with this program he should direct his questions to NIH.

Finally, Niedenfuhr has prepared a three or four page summary of
the ARPA program which best documents what happened and has been trying to
get Steve Luskasik, the ARPA director, to release it. He is not sure he
will be successful, but we can perhaps exert more pressure if you want to
see it. Niedenfuhr was totally cooperative throughout my discussion and
the main thing is that the program is now retired and there is no follow-on.
Niedenfuhr's office number is 694-1139.

SDD: br

I don't see why ARPA should want to hold back on such
a thing, nor how they could if the point is raised in a FOI Act action.
However, I think that Hammerschlag has been reasonably well satisfied
about this particular project by now so there may not be that much
more to be gained by a strong push on Lukasik. Hammerschlag eventually
contacted Blackwell directly, and I think this gave him the information

he most urgently demanded.
pao Hyaxt,

 

   

WNGNVYOWIW 351ddO @ ALISYFAINN GYOANVIS @ :

WNGNVYOW3W 331ddO © ALISYTAINN GYOINVLS © WNMGNVYOWIW JDO © ALISYZAINN GYOINVLS ¢