Document oyzDe5DByGG5vzoZog7y1kdD

October 4, 1937 Mr. H. Fossefct Ethyl Export Corporation Shames House* Millbank London* S, 1 England Dear Mr. Fossett:- Allow me to acknowledge with thanks your full letter of August 30th and your subsequent briefer letters of September 1st and 2nd. To reply first to the less important matters, I am glad to let you know that after some delay, X have at last had an opportunity to write fully to Professor Ellul in Malta and I have sent him a very considerable amount of literature and information* Incidentally I have practically com pleted the distribution of material available in English to all those of our medical consultants who can make use of this language. I have eonsnunicated with certain of our other consultants, but I shall hot be able to accomplish my purpose entirely until I have obtained the translated material which is now in the process of being prepared. I wish to acknowledge receipt of the sample can from Ravenna which I shall retain as an exhibit. I see no particular point in your having the full tin, to which you refer in your letter, sent to me. You were w|se, I think, in merely having this photographed and retained in the hands of the S.I.A.P* I am grateful for your detailed information on the Italian situation. The difficulty of maintaining proper observations is quite considerable in view of the manufacturing activities which are going on in Italy* I have no confidence in the effectiveness of any memorandum which we might wish to prepare on the manufacturing activities, and on the means of distributing Fluid containing tetraethyl lead* I should be entirely willing to prepare a memorandum, pointing out the diffi culties associated with certain present operations in Italy. However I think it would be futile for me to do this In a general way, and it would not be possible for me to write an article calling attention to specific dangers associated with their various operations unless I was in possession of precise information with regard to their practices. If, as seems to he indicated in your letter, the government is interested in controlling the situation, it would appear that any facts to which I might refer might well he changed by the time our memorandum reached the hands of government officials. I feel quite certain that some of the government officials will do what they can to bring these matters into,control. However, one of them. Dr. Sica, who should be an influencial man, expressed his complete inability to take any action which would have any effect upon the manufacturing and distribution of Fluid* This, of course, was some time ago but one may question whether the situation is now appreciably different. You point out in your letter that Dr. Bellini, whom I remember as a rather nice gentleman, has called attention to the'inconsistency of the government in carrying out a very rigorous inspection of plants,wh!le permitting Fluid to be distributed in a most si ip*, shed and unsafe manner. This, I think, illustrates tlie attitude of mind of those who are powerful in the government. It becomes a little difficult, therefore, to expect reasonable and just performance on the part of such a group. Since my return from my vacation, I have had too much to do to spend time in 'the preparation of such a memorandum as 3.I.A.P. have requested. I am beginning now to get some df the things behind me that demand immediate care and I shall prepare the memorandum as soon as I can, I am disposed to feel that any such memorandum prepared by me at this distance should be considered not 30 much from the point of view of its subject matter as from the point of view of its presentation both by you and your associates who are more familiar with the immediate situation and also by the representatives of S.I.A.P. who presumably should know more about how to approach the question than I can hops to do* Cordially your3. HAKsis Robert :'K7 '^-oho'9 ", 'M.D. 0015862