March 11, 1976

Mr. Edward Goldamith
Editor

The Ecologist

36 Craven Street

London, W.C. 2 , England

Bear Mr. Goldsemith,

Thank you for your interesting letter of March 2nd. At this
point I will respond mainly to your paragraph four ({f11!) with the
remark that I am on Medawar's side. I asi somewhat more alarmed by
environmental mutagenesis than by the relaxation of natural selection -
not out of concern for the genetic quality at the outsome but the price
that will be paid in the procees of selection against genetic defects.
However, I do not believe this is a long run problem for precisely the
reagon attributed to him. All of your themes are, nevertheless, of very
great interest to me and I have dealt with them from time to time in
wy columns for The Washington Post and in other writings.

I have, in fact, been giving some thought to changing the format
of my public exposition, for I am beginning to find that 700 words once
a week is too little to often for the development of complicated ideas.
The Washington Post and ite syndicate are, however, an exceptionally
effective channel to political opinion in the United States and I would
not give that up without having an assuredly effective alternative.
Nor can I contemplate doing both. Let me say then that I would welcome
the opportunity to consider "The Ecologist’ as a vehicle for occasional
writing at mutual option. I would algo like to raise the question of
your reprinting some of my columns after the have run in The Washington
Poat for I doubt that they are visible in Great Britain. The Thomson
Newepaper Group does subscribe to the newswire gervice that transmits
my column weekly, but asa far as I know they have never availed themselves
of the opportunity. If you are so inclined you might negotiate with them
to receive the text as they are cabled. Alternatively I could mail them
to you for I retain the copyright privilege for publication other than
in newspaper form.

Should your international circulation reach the level where this
was an embarrassement of redundancy we could then review the matter.

over

Hlwmsd704 = 6duynd3s
Let me know your pleasure including the terms that you would
consider reasonable for the circumstances.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Cenetics

JL/rr