European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 31, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Itt not mice to of food Motreb from upper left to lower right by Charles r. Eisenz Rathford the associated press count of the votes. The motion would be Defeated. After learning that the mayor quietly tabled the motion to avoid a lot of uninformed the polite sparring in Ann Arbor was followed Bya Brawl in Cambridge that attracted a National Fol lowing to the science this time the sides were More evenly matched. Har Vard like Michigan wanted to gel on with Dan research and for Many of the same reason but instead of a soft spoken biology professor As mayor Cambridge has Alfred Vollucci. Who or years has built a successful political career baiting Harvard. Besides turning the vied Harvard Yard into a parking wer against airborne organic a 31, 1977 see related Story on Page 20 lot. Vellucci periodically suggests converting the Campus humor Magazine s building into a Public lavatory and in place of a harried assistant professor of humanities critics of Gene splicing in Cambridge were led by George Wald. A Nobel Prisic Winnyk Harvard did not have to organize neighbourhood meetings to express his took to Abc to s today show to charge Gene splicers with lunging into something in a woeful state of he also mentioned the possibility of escaping organisms causing mysterious new diseases like last year s outbreak of Legionnaire s disease in Philadel the Lime Wald urged the mayor to take Steps against Dan research. Velucci already was on the move. A local newspaper had headlined Bio hazards at Harvard before anyone had informed the mayor of danger. Mail to one City Council member was running 30 to i against allowing Gene splicing in town and feelings ran deep on wan right for one of the mayor s sallies against Harvard. He summoned the scientists to a Tele Vised Public City Hall s old. Wood Wainscot a Chambers were packed with graduate students curious towns people and scientists who sweated together under inc Didieg lights while Vellucci warmed up the crowd by warn ing that he would stand for no technical jargon. Most of the people in this room including myself Are Lay people the mayor told researchers so spell it Oul but when Harvard biologist Mark Ptashne tried to do lust that denying that Gene splicing had Ever produced a known dangerous organism a Council member fired off a Blunt rejoinder. Just what the Bell do you think you re going to do if you do produce one the meeting ended with biologists in a state of near panic at Velucci s Resolution to ban All moderate and High risk Gene splicing activity within the City limits or two tempers cooled a few weeks later the ban was Cut to three months bul Velucci s face off had produced major change in the politics of science. A new. Five member watchdog group called the Cambridge biota Zards committee to include the municipal commissioner of health and hospitals and the chairman of the Public policy Board will oversee All Dan Board shows that scientists can t just do what they damned Well please any notes Jonatha Beckwith. Harvard molecular genetics professor. Not since the a bomb have scientists been held so clo sely accountable to non expert opinion of their research. Prof. David Jackson every Advance carries a risk. The stars and stripes Page 15
