June 1, 1958 Dear Syd: The clippings on the Fenner-Webb tragedy came in just a few days ago. We were just aghast, as who could help but be, I hope the Webb girl came out of it without too many scars, and I hardly dare ask how the Fenners have stood up under the blov. Ye still pet the Age Saturday edition, “ut none of this hapnened to be in it, We don't have to tell you what the rut de like: we've beer in the proove gorie time now, but have been very pleased the last courle of months to have Cavalli working with us, which keens us reasonably busy. We should be just settled down reasonably well when (according to rlans) we'll be off for the Stockholm Congress. “etre trying to see whether we can manage any vacation out of it. Yelll be away all of August. The bit of uwkk that Gus Nossel and I did together has created more of a stir here than I would have exreeted; a short note on it brs fust come out in Nature, The last few months, I've snent some time not altogether unsuccessfully trying to stir up some comsidered scientific interest in the microblo~ lopy of the planets, honins that we can evolve some plans to be ready in time to prevent the loss of a unique orrertunity by inadvertent contamination. I will be surprised if there isn't a probe to the moon within the next six or twelve months-- the Russian rockets would have the power capability now, and a good chance for the guidance at least for a hard landing, and I don't think the US progran is as far behind as you might think from the actual orbitings to date, When the hardware is fully developed, during the next year to five years, there'll] be a tremendous scramble, and it may > e too late by then to lay the prover groundwork for scientific investigation. I haver't been able to