Document QgyQ1bRzagD7bVMy07akZNZj4

June 4, 1960 AIR MAIL .Mr. C. D. Carter Imperial Hotel Tokyo JAPAN Dear Nick: By the time you receive this letter I shall be on my way to London and Western Europe to interview the health officials in a series of countries on the subject of the impending use of tetramethyl lead. I talked with Mr. Murdock today on the telephone concerning the situation that may arise in Japan in this regard, and we agreed on the wisdom of seeking your view of this matter and your advice on what to do.about it after you have made some inquiry into the matter. Accordingly, I am sending you, herewith, a copy of the report of our field investigation, and I shall undertake to make such suggestion as I can and then await further word from you. I shall not be back in my office until July 14th at the earliest, and I have no idea how long you will be in Japan. Never the less, I do not anticipate that there is any immediate urgency in the matter, and, therefore, I would not suggest that you should take definitive action without consulting me. If I am mistaken in my timetable and you come to think that action must be taken, you will have to refer the matter to New York for a decision. The problem before us is the necessity or advisability of consulting the hygienic authorities of Japan (or of those governmental subdivisions that may have jurisdiction in hygienic matters) concerning the possible use of TML in gasoline there, before any such use is imminent, or when such use is at hand. It is likely that some of the men who will be interested in this matter, both officially and professionally, will visit the U.S.A. in July (at the time of the International Congress on Occupational Health in New York City) and that they could be approached by me at that time. It is possible, of course, that TML may go to Japan promptly, and that some appropriate approach to officialdum should be made without delay. I don't know whether this is necessary or how it might best be done. I don't like the idea of having it done by anyone who has an axe to grind. It is the policy of Ethyl Corporation that the way be cleared (if it can be cleared without undue difficulty such as would be involved in legislative action or some other formal governmental procedure) by a representative, preferably an hygienic representative of the manufacturer or manufacturers of antiknock compoundfirather than by the petroleum company or companies involved. This is why I am going to Europe. I hardly think it necessary for me to go to all the far corners of the earth to do this, and indeed it would be difficult (although not impossible) as well as expensive for me to do so. Therefore, if there is a means of handling this matter properly, through someone who would, in t i Mr. C. D. Carter 2 June 4, 1960 a sense, represent me, or act for me, independently, and In so doing open up for the proper people a way of communicating with me (and this Laboratory, as the source of further information on the hygienic problems), it would serve the required purpose admirably. The point is, of course, that we do not wish to exercise or make use of any improper influence, and we do wish to obtain and provide all relevant information, so that there will be no opportunity for any responsible official to come to the belief that he has been ignored or kept in partial ignorance of the facts, or that the health of his constituents has been Jeopardized in any manner by our action. I am sure that you understand this concept fully, but I go into some detail in order to present a clear view of the matter. I am sure that you know your way around in Japan, and that you can find out for yourself, and for all of us, the possible ways of dealing with the matter, without coramiting yourself in advance. If I were there I would probably go to one or two of the man X know and get their advice. You may or may not think this advisable. I have in mind such a person as Dr. Susuma Harashima, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Occupational Health in the School of Medicine of Keio University in Tokyo. But I leave it to you to look into this dis creetly, as you think best. With regards and best wishes. Sincerely, RAK:ss cc: Mr. M. P. Murdock Robert A. Kehoe, M. D 0003!