2101 CONSTITUTION AVENUE CABLE ADDRESS: NARECO
WASHINGTON 25, D. c. WASHINGTON, D. Cc.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEC 12 1959.
axa ae 4

SPACE SCIENCE BOARD

December 7, 1959

Dr, Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California

Dear Dr, Lederberg:

I think that I have developed information on most of the points
raised in your letter of November 23, The Westex material has been
distributed to Board members, invited participants and other people that
you requested as well as the appropriate committees of the Board, A
distribution list is enclosed,

We have discussed at some length the transmittal of the Westex
material to Ierusalimskii, Odishaw strongly counsels against transmittal
of the document for a number of reasons, First, despite a specific request
by Odishaw to the U.S.S.R. for information on sterilization procedures used,
we have not even received an acknowledgement of the communication, Only
those generalities appearing in the public press have been available,
Second, it does not seem appropriate for us to send the minutes of Westex
meetings to the Soviet Union providing, as they do, the most advanced
thinking of our senior scientists with regard to the many biological
questions, Third, it seems wiser and more appropriate to send reprints of
articles which have appeared, in addition to the material provided to
Westex 1 by Horowitz, (I am enclosing for your use references of this type,)
We suggest that these accompany a personal letter from you to Jerusalimskii,
outlining the interests in exobiology of you, Calvin, and the Westex group
generally and expressing the earnest hope that he and his colleagues participate
in the COSPAR Symposium in Nice: a perfect opportunity for a productive
scientific discussion,

With regard to your suggestion of a public statement of U, S,
policy on space probe decontamination, I have discussed this with Homer
Newell at NASA, pointing out your thoughts on the necessity for guidance
prior to COSPAR, The Space Agency (according to Newell) plans no public
statement, He advises that the letter from Glennan to Odishaw (Agenda Item
4,5 - Sixth Meeting Space Science Board) contains the NASA policy and its
current program for sterilization, He feels that this should provide the
Dr. Joshua Lederberg - 2 - December 7, 1959

basis for any discussions or informal remarks which you and Calvin might
wish to make at COSPAR, (Newell will, of course, be in Nice and available
to you for advice, He would also be happy to discuss this topic with you
or Calvin either by letter or personally.)

Lastly, there is no information on Russian participation in the
COSPAR Symposium other than an indication at the COSPAR Executive Committee
Meeting, November 10-13, that the COSPAR Charter matters would be satis-
factorily resolved because they hoped to participate in the Symposium,
If we do receive definite word, I shall advise you, However, there is
every indication that they will be represented,

Best regards,

Sincerely yours,

ed ce As
°G, A, I ive

Space Science Board Secretariat

Enclosures

ec: H, Odishaw
R, C, Peavey