March 15, 1958

Dear Jim:

Just received your note of the 13th. I was rather astonished that
a reversal as decisive as this would be possible at such a late stage,
and needless to say we are disarpointed, But the most urgent thing I
wanted to communicate was mur very deep appreciation for your ow efforts--
I knew that the whele affair must have been as wearing for you as it has
been for us, and that ne pert of thie denouement stems from any omission
on your part,

I am pleased that we could, at least, have learned of this development
before we had gone too far in pradicating our vlans here on the prospect
of moving, So far, we have done nothing irrevocable --beyond, for example,
retrenching on studente who might have been embarrassed by having to move
in midecourse, and seme hesitations on building and finewial plans which
might have been made up, Also, I would not want you to have any pangs about
the influenee our negotiations have had on decisions with respect to other
institutiones I can't berin te judge whether they would have been different,
but I was the first to insist that there was no contract until it had been
formally accepted on both sides,

However, I am poine to toss one ball back to you. I would ask you to base
your department's policy on whether to prolong the discussion entirely on
your own judgment of its practicality, I am deeply interésted in Berkeley
and would be in the future; if you feel that there 4s any point in exploring
other arrangements during the next year er two (ineluding some along the
interdepartmental lines to which I alluded in my last lIstter) there would
certainly be nothing unfair to us in your doing so, Nor do I think that
much of the time ve spent on thease matters has been entirely wasted, On
the other hand, I oan very well visualize that your departruxsbt may feel
that thie would be a futile effert, and that it would be better to proceed
with more likely successful propesals, for the use of your a: ointment
comnitmonts, Perhapa on a lenger scale, the two vould not be entirely ex-
Clusive, At any rate, it is in my interest that I suggest you base your
decisions on policy objectives rather than on the promise ‘that it vould
be completely unfair to continue nerotiations,'

As a practioal matter, of courses, we will have to accomodate our rians
te the proposition that we are not moving to Berkkbhy, Let me repeat thet
we certainly place preat store on the opportunity thet the past year has
afforded for getting ta know you and your colleagues more intimately, and I
want to wish you the very best of luek in your further plans,

With best rerards from Esther, (Yours cordially,

“ bon CS eeccmeee
/Woshua Lederberg

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