Tobacco Documents Online

C54-00616 May 13, 1954 Dr. John H. Heller Wilton Connecticut Dear Dr. Helle:: 01 Thanks very much for sending us the numerous references with respect to your work on the reticuloerAothelial system, and for your letters on this and related subjects. They have been studied carefully. We think your proposal is intriguing, and that further work should be done in this field. Our greatest problem is in critical examination and evaluation of your proposal with respect to sponsorship of the work by this company. As you know, our company is a member o~ the Tobacco Industry Research Coa®ittee, and our president, Mr. 0. Parker McComus, is ohatTman of the committee. It is our intention to co- operate as closely as possible in the co®ittee's work. Even if our company sponsored your work and results were favorable and useful, we would not exploit it to cur own advantage because a public health question is involved. If you carried out the work under our exclusive sponsorship, we would be denying ourselves the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group of the TIRC, which as you know ha3 been formed and is composed of very high caliber men in fields related to lung cancer. Moreover, with the backing of TIRC, presu®atbly greater funds could be availabl.3 than would be the aase if only one company sponsored the work. Coenments above can be applied also to the possible develop- ment of a filter which would remove those fractions of smoke pertieles which mlght be found undesirable. . : . _J rv

Dr. John H. Heller -2- May 13, 1954 In view of the *aat that other tobacco companies have approached you and your associates in connection with the type of research under discussion, I assume that if the proposal were turned over to TIRC they would be in favor of allocating funds to it. I am recamending to Mr. McComas that this aanpany urge the TIRC through its Scientific Advisory Coemmi.ttee to give serious consideration to sponsoring your work. If he accepts this recammendation, I am sure that he can arrange for you to meet with these men and present your proposal in person. Sinaerely, • Robert N. DuPuis, Director neaeareH RNA tiev.%apmen0 IND s83