re -/

May 18, 1965

Dr. John R. Beem

Associate Director for Progran
Planning & Selentific Information

National Heart Institute

National Institutes of Health

Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Dear Dr. Been:
Thank you for sending me the hearings I asked for.

The timidity of the approach to the kidney is too obvious, though there

is some merit to the idea that more fundamental information is nedded

for optimum design. But the same argument might have suppressed winged
aircraft whikeerockets were being developed. However, I am sure the heart
program will set the pace in bringing about the most important revisions
of policy on development projects.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics