6 
Seoond, even acc^ting the assunption, with v^ich I disagree, that nothing 
other than beneficial results may stem from this research, it does not 
follow that the public thereby loses its interest in having suitable guidelines 
for the expenditure of public funds. 
Such guidelines might indeed need to be more carefully drawn, and perhaps 
should extend to all publicly funded research which may raise issues of the 
kind involved here. 
Even if no additional increment of deinger exists, it does not follcw that 
dangerous or ethically or socially offensive experiments, with or without the 
technology involved here, should be conducted free of any guidelines except 
standards of good laboratory practices. 
I am surprised to hear suggestions that because many of the unanswered ques- 
tions relating to experiments in this field are political and social questions, 
that the guidelines have no further reason for existence. I doubt that the 
public will long renain eiloof from decision making concerning the expenditure 
of public funds, whatever the purpose of those expenditures may be. If the 
possibility for interaction of science and public members as afforded by this 
comittee is ended, some other mechanism for that input will be developed. 
I believe the recommendation that the nature of the guidelines be downgraded 
to a sinple statement of good laboratory practices, raises issues as serious - 
though opposite from - the ones considered by Congress several years ago. 
In my view, the orderly progression of our recommendations to the Director, 
who has steadily eased the difficulties of performing experiments as rapidly 
[ 613 ) 
