SUN 10 1971

Aan Landers
Pablishera:- Hall Syndicate

rn a

June 7, 1971

Professor Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
School of Medicine

Stanford University
Stanford, California 93405

Dear Josh:

Thanks for sending me a copy of your "Dear Alan,
Dear Gaylord" mail. Why don't you let your friends
know when you are switching signals? One of the
reasons I took the position in support of S~34 was
because YOU were supporting it.

I have heard from everybody --- including Elliot
Richardson. My position, however, is unchanged.
When I see our government spending billions in

Viet Nam it seems that ANY expenditure for medical
research is a very good thing. Nixon's announce-
ment that the $100 million would be spent within
the framework of the N.I.H. is all right, too, so
long as he keeps his word and sees to it that it is
independently budgeted and directly under his super-
vision. In all candor, however, I must tell you I
do not have much faith in Nixon's promises. He is
awfully good at sleight-of-hand tricks --- moving
things around (he calls it "reorganization"). He
also knows how to skillfully hold back money that
Congress has authorized for spending.

All the senators are mad at me because my column
generated so much mail. Their staffs threatened

to quit en masse. Many of my friends in medicine

are mad at me because they don't want to see a sep-
arate Cancer Authority. My pals in medical education
are mad at me because they think I am trying to dis-
mantle the N.I.H. And now THIS from YOU ---- I

think I'll just kill myself.

Warm regards,
oe”

EFL/sk