229 



Mr. Kreidler. OK A study on this project found that the treat- 

 ment of a filter with PEI increased the delivery of extractable nico- 

 tine. So what you are saying then is that B&W, as far as you know 

 right now, is not adding that to the 



Mr. Sandefur. We do not practice that art is my understanding. 



Mr. Kreidler. Do you know if you did in the past? 



Mr. Sandefur. No, sir, I don't. 



Mr. Kreidler. Could you let us know? 



Mr. Sandefur. I'll be more than happy to look into it and answer 

 your question. 



Mr. Waxman. Thank you, Mr. Kreidler. 



Mr. Paxon. 



Mr. Faxon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Sandefur, the terms of genetic engineering and genetic ma- 

 nipulation were thrown around rather loosely on Tuesday. Mr. 

 Sandefur, did B&W use genetic engineering to develop Y-1 or did 

 it use, as you referred to it, crossbreeding methods. 



Mr. Sandefur. It's my understanding that we used crossbreed- 

 ing methods, not genetically engineered process. 



Mr. Paxon. I think it is a very important point to make certain 

 that 



Mr. Sandefur. I think it is, yes, sir. 



Mr. Faxon. Mr. Sandefur, Dr. Kessler suggested that there was 

 something unique or unusual about Y-1 because it contained ap- 

 proximately 6 percent nicotine. Are there other tobacco plants with 

 nicotine levels in this same range? 



Mr. Sandefur. Yes, sir, there are other plants with higher nico- 

 tine. High nicotine leaf. I've seen a list that would have 7 percent 

 nicotine in the leaf. 



Mr. Faxon. Thank you. Last line of questioning. 



Mr. Sandefur we have heard a lot about in the past documents 

 stolen from your company that are apparently in the possession of 

 this subcommittee, at least the chairman of the subcommittee. 



Would you explain how it happened that your documents were 

 stolen. 



Mr. Sandefur. I will do that to the best of my ability. We are 

 still involved in an investigation on this subject. We hired a local 

 law firm in Louisville, Kentucky to put our files in order so that 

 we could respond to congressional inquiries such as we are having 

 here, but equally important is litigation, smoking and health litiga- 

 tion. 



The categorization of those files have taken a number of years 

 to do. Because I can tell you. Congressman, that we haven't thrown 

 away anything since 1954. 



Mr. Faxon. Sounds like Congress. 



Mr. Sandefur. And I literally mean that in terms of anything 

 related to smoking and health. In the process of categorizing these 

 files, the law firm hired paralegals to do the work. There was an 

 individual named Merrill Williams who was hired to participate in 

 that. 



It was my understanding after Mr. Williams was terminated 

 from the law firm as a paralegal. He continued to work on this 

 project for approximately 2 weeks. And one Sunday morning, he 

 came into our facilities at Brown & Williamson and between 8 and 



