5 
Beginning tomorrow Dr. Gartland will also be briefing appropriate officials 
at the World Health Organization, The European Molecular Biology Organization 
and in Britian. Today the guidelines will also be sent to all science 
attaches of foreign embassies located in Washington and to U.S. science 
attaches in our embassies in foreign countries. 
These NIH guidelines for conduct of recombinant DNA research represent a 
small but important step in developing standards and criteria to protect 
the public interest and to guide the decision-making process required 
for conservative exploitation of new knowledge that combines profound 
promise with uncertain hazards. 
It is my belief that these guidelines, and the provision of all the 
information leading to their development and promulgation, constitute 
a new structure that will usefully serve to improve the quality of 
public debate and scientific consideration of this exceedingly important 
matter. 
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