Room 5N-119, Bldg. 10

Narch 28, 1969

Dr. I?. H. C. Crick
Laboratory of Molecular Blology
Medical Research Council
University Postgraduate Medical School
Hills Road, Cambridge cB2 2QH
England

Dear Francis:

&til I received your letter I had heard nothing wcept a few
                                    Now,

thin ruaors concerning the discussions with regard to Spetsai.
with the letter, as well as my conversation with Brian Clark today, X
have at least some idea of what is going cm.
interest to me to see the circular letter of the European Coxnittee of
Scientists for Democracy On Greece and I would appreciate 8 copy of
that, if possible.

Xt would be of some

There are 8- corransnts concerning your letter which I would

like to make.
of the U.S. Govenuaent,  and tbt the U. S. Government will support my
trip to the school, the opinims expressed here 81% not in any way
connected with my employmen& but reprasent B completely personal view--
that of 8 scientist and a participant fs. the summer school m Spetsai.

X must first point out that although I am an employee

I deplore the current undemcratLc regfmht kr Greece and am

deeply disturbed by the report8 of the totalitarian masures used by
the present Greek junta. I do not, horwer, cmsfder that this vhw-
point leads necessarfly to the conclushn that the Stmnner School should
be cancelled.
overall cmclusion.
fact that the political nature of gcwernments has not widely influenced
the plannbg of or attendance at internachlal sc%enti€%c meetings in
the past. Further, f believe that practice to be proper, by and large.
Most importantly, I agree with your "basic objection," as stated an
page 3 of your letter.

X am planning an attending.

Thus, I agree with your

I also agree with your statement concerning the

You nay know that there is a considerable htereet here in

chan&~g the proposed site of tie 1971 meethg of the FASEB away from
the city of Chicago.
during the 1968 Democratic Party Canventfun,
the proposed move and have been asked if that position $6 not hconsis-
tent with my attendance at the school in Spetsai.
question io relevant to the current debate.
United States S have the responsibility to protest unjust governmental
practices. Also, as a citizen, 1 have,at least to sme degree, some
political powex to use in attempting to effect a change.

This is h protest mer the police brutality

I heve voted in favor of

My answer to thst

As a citizen of the

With regard

-2 -

to Greece, hcnwer, P have no power, and conlsider the suggested boycott
a golittcally ineffective device,
intennatfclnal boycott of Greece were posaibla, f would be eager to
support it.  Therefore, one inust Vbw the act of boycott as a very
personal and private protest-not as a useful political acttvity,
such, its value is prharfly to the WLvidual boycotter and his
canrxkmce,
that undue pressure on othera to take the ~iaxife action is unfortunate,

Xf X thought that an effective

As

Although f respect a perowal deci8Lon to boycott, I feel

There are two matters discuss& h your letter with which X do

not agree.
your position. These cancern the dismissal of academtc parsons, and
the alleged torture,  Regardless of our private evaluations of tho842
dismissed, the      of d~smfssal is the crux of the issue and cannot
be set aside.
may engage in torture doe5 not dbbish the horror of torture.
poaslbilSty that: either m both of thse claims is true &e what, among
other things, leads you and me to deplore the raghe.  Therefore it is
unnecessary to discus8 them.
of UEI is in a positgon to evaluate the truth oE the clafmo, You
cannot wh a point with the ColIETlittee by arguing a nm-conflmble
fact.  X asewne that you brought these matters up because the Committee
raised them,  Xt would bat a mistake to allow youreelf to be driven bto
an indefensible earner a6 an apologist for the junta by the tactics 02
the Corcaaittea.  X would tkn urge you to emphaafae the other pohits in
your letter and omit theae two Xn future discussions,

I also think that they are both irrelevant and dangerous to

SfrdParly the fact that countries other than Greece also

The

Xt is dmgeroug to do so because no one

   The'kdZtims'' you mentian t3em to me both proper and useful.
X wonder whether they might gab added leverage if yw could get NATO
itself to dca these demands on the Greek government.

One additional mfnor point.

I: was a llttle disturbed by your

semdhg me the letter after indicating to Gros that: you considered it
canfldentfal. I believe that it would be best to hform him that others
(I ass- School participants) have been made privy to the correspondence.
Z em sendtng copfcas of my letter to Alex Rich and Paul Berg,

Dan and I are looking forward to caasfng you on Spetrsai.

Very

best regards,

Sincerely yours,