Document re31nMwNr5XaQ3w6gDo1k3aRV

September 17, 1962 Mr. W. R. Perdue, Jr. Vice President Ethyl Corporation 100 Park Avenue New York 17, N.Y. Dear Bill: Thanks for your nice letter of September 4th. I should have replied long since but for the fact that I had real difficulty in reordering my affairs on my return to my office on September 6th, and have had to go slowly in planning out-of-town engagements. I am still in some doubt about September dates, but X shall be in the East on other matters in the first week in October, and it would be convenient for me to be in New York on Tuesday or Wednesday, October 2nd or 3rd. Incidentally, the TML problem should certainly have been resolved by that time at the latest, insofar as the reaction of the Public Health Service to our report is concerned. This matter has dragged on for an unreasonable length of time, and I shall be relieved to have it behind me. shall look forward to seeing you at your convenience, and in bringing you up-to-date on various matters of mutual interest. Sincerely yours, Robert A. Kehoe, M. D RAK:ss cc: Mr. J. H. Kirby ETHYL, CORPORATION lOO PARK AVENUE BUIEDING AT 41st STREET NEWYORK17, ST.Y. September 4, 1962 CONFIDENTIAL Dr. Robert A. Kehoe The Kettering Laboratory Eden and Bethesda Avenues Cincinnati 10, Ohio Dear Bob: I have, I fear, been unduly tardy in returning to you my comments prompted by your letter of July 17* 19 6 2 . Let me say at the outset that I had no intention of implying any kind of financial irresponsibility and do not think there would be any basis whatsover for any such feeling on the part of me or my associates. Our new contract and procedure did involve some rather sub stantial changes from the previous ways of doing busi ness and I have found in many situations that such changes always require considerable communication and followup. I am, as a matter of fact, impressed with the ease with which generallythe changeover has been accomplished. I did feel it was desirable to call attention to the fact that, as Ethyl's financial officer, I am, under the new procedure, operating under specific and limited authorities in relation to reimbursing expendi tures by the Laboratory. Therefore, whenever there is indication that the limits established for specific projects may be exceeded, I feel it necessary to sound a note of warning. It is clear that all of the matters have been adequately dealt with except for the one which I entitled "Metabolism of Lead in Air". I believe we are aware of the purpose of this work and have no intention of causing a precipitate termination. At the same time, our people feel that we can no longer undertake to underwrite these activities except on a clearly scheduled basis with a specific designation of the amount of our obligation. K 0006228 N7533.01 Dr. Robert A. Kehoe 2- September 4, 1962 This may, of course, entail the obtaining of more sub stantial funds elsewhere, including a larger amount of support from the Public Health Service. I am in complete agreement that we should at an early date thoroughly review the subject and ascertain as definitively as possible what the overall cost is to be and how much support Is to be obtained from other sources. Under our new procedures, we do find that receipt of expenditure reports more promptly has con siderable significance. We would be reluctant to ask for any radical change in your relationship with the Univer sity accounting office unless such a step became absolutely necessary. However, it does seem possible that information might be supplied at an earlier date without such radical change being necessary, and this is one of the subjects that 1 had hoped Jim Kirby might discuss. I would be glad to have you give me suggestions as to some convenient date in the not too distant future when we might arrange for a thoroughgoing discussion of the support of the Chamber project. Sincerely yours, WRP/d W. R. Perdue, Jr. Vice President K 0006229