It is ,lesirabie, I think, at the siltset of an:: cx,siierutic?n of policies, to exa,dne We role ol the 9.2. an3 the sTecia1 qJsiifi- md aiJplication of new knowledge in tb m;iical sciences. .?hst ca~i WB do that no one else can do? Swat qualities has the A.F. vLi2h P a3 not characteristic ~f govemmnts, yrivate uni-ers iti59, na-ional societies, or individual philanthropists? Ykat mory, xr ;;_t;al.ificat- ions are likely to 'E useful ad t?.e-mfore givs ;zs a% lesst Cy% 7;s- sibility of Wiag a contri3ution th5t zay b both vali~&& s.12 unicLm? ?'h? intrinsic ad essentid. qualifications of tlie H.7. m: first, that it disposes of 1ar;e sm of norey w'tich ecn !e kcth rapidly and eerteizilg mobilimcl or Ciizxcted; se cordly, t2ie oxp?**,itiirc of its raonsy is virtually 'adar tile contAm2 of fechniral a2oiser; '1x3 adqlnistrators who are abis to trawl arywhere aad aiio, thank 50 a nuraber of reascns,ara practically assured now of favora5le and intelli~ent coopration in my mrt of the world; thirdly, -Lhe Foundation has a policy which is neither inflexible nor obiicatory for an indefinite period of tima. The only stricture is in effect extremly broad one since the Folicy of the 8.F. at a~y Cimn ti::e is really an interpretation of an extremly broad and su2ple yTincip7.e (ia.e. welfare mankind throughout th3 world). These, the:, ssem to m to be the essential characteristics of the R.F. wQOp,& cmqaring tb R.3'. with ether orgaLizatiocs one is hmdiately aware of tb fact that the SUII of noney at, %:,le comnnd of tb R.T., although somtims as large or larger than Pads okltalri- able from governrents for a certain object, a= in fact subjacted 39 a more intelligent axmination aid a control that is lees ;artism or regional in sym;/sthj than is %he case *ritB the mney spent by bagis- ltitures in most govern-mnts in tiie warid. For exm~b, su2posin;; that tbre is a question of support fron a certzin Qovernment for zd.aria czntrol, it is unlikely that tile lesisiators are as vel1 irfo,--,?tjd as the board of scientific directors oP the 1.iI.D. a;id it is sirniiar1;r unlikely that any spcial cormlittee appointed by a lsgislature will have control over large s'um of money with the sane freedom as that which exists in the 3.F. To make another coxparison the 2.F. possessas greater elasticity in cfianginc its policy than does a mimrsity c;r a spcial institution since universities or sscial institutes are us\;ally conf iwd by 2,re-detemined obligatims and definitions of their perrranent azd spcial Iaserests. If orie ccc+ares t!s 2.3'. with the activities of an individual millionnaire 31" phiicnth-osfst one is inclined to believe that the advantag+ pssessed b;r the 3.2. liss ir? the fact that it8 activities cm be nme sustaired, kttzr balanced and more thorou&ly reasoned md advised tr!man woi~ld 1% like- ly to be tbe case with an individual donor. It wxli! be admisted by many also that the present position .and pmt history of tb 2.3'. is a distinct advantage in coLsarison to the pusition that Irig;ht be occu;)isd by any individEal new-comr in ous fields cjf activity, ?e r?i%ps the closest malogue to the 32. is 8 national society or or:*xiization such as the National Research Council, tke I,aise~-Wil?sIr?- G-es?ll-schaft, etc., b~t hem a definite advantqe fs possessed by ??i3 2.F. in the fact that its interests ad its work are not 1iaited tc GI:,- nabiozal bourldarie so Xe relation of the Fomdatioi tc tks reci;>ie;;fus of !.is gifts, though not w-iqa, is r*evertiseless c5sractarized h:i certain features which are worth keeping ir mind, Tirst, it is csrtain that there is no other orsanization in the world with as wide iis1 sxpriexe of piblic health w3rk an3 iwdical ecucatian. Th singular feat:n% of tkis ex2erience is that a reLat.ively smli gmuy sf ?:lea has n faniliss- ity with a wry wide and 77ar:Tirig ranee of ccnditions and tendencies, Psrkia2s also it mi@t lae said that it is not -&rely the accwlGlation of information but also adoinistrati-m experience ir, &al.iAx nit'l rzcy of the qarre1s and questions @ich in diFf5m:it of We wrld are somtimes submitted to us for opinion. Thirdly, I SCE Seen impressed by the fact that occasionally aid froa the 3oim3atior_, emn if it be very silia3l in arraunt, gives &%at mral sq=:ort six= it implies the approval of an hpartial and experiericad cxtsi6e o:Al?jQ^,. Iii fomth place, the positior, of the Fouridation is so corcpl&tely in- dependent tkt it is gossible for it to ai6 in3ivihxds .zmd at. the saxe tima decline requests fmn: otber people apparently in a sixilsr 23s- ition - a course of action often hpospi2h far a ~avamxent, 2 ministry, a national society or a university. 3evertiqG 20 tl-s intrimic qual ificatiocs of the Yoc-Ldct ion it seems to lnaa that it would be wise for us to take si?viirta,E o? tkss qudificatiocs which are miqm - in a word to plqr our lent s~ljfs. These enable us to consider undertakings which are xw; whicl. are 1a1-i~; which mquire tecbical advice and intelligsnt sdxiiiiatration; which are bemfittea by the exmrience cleaned from rag iands; wiiich do mt comit or ia~~lw the Zoundation fo~ m indofinite priod of time It would seem to rn to 3e logical to adopt tomrd 01x program +Uke attitG6e om must have towards en expsi4?snt - namlly, careful plamiir,g in advance; comas to take som3 risks; the decision to follm with peat care and hones-t;y the evidence povided by tbe esperirent; md the ex-plicit understmdins that in riaking scch an expriisnt, definite cin6 clear-cut provision mst be mde for its icemdnstion. I haw statsd these spciai :wil.ifications cf rhe Fomfiabi~~ since to fail to Sear t'rmi in rnii-i.6 ~aalC ?x to ex3os3 mrselves to drifting int3 ths scceptanoe af innumrable denads which zo~ld 5mt as well mt by govsmwmts, universities, mtiond. societies, s:xcial institutes or private individuals, It seems to re that the cktarae",sr- istics of tb FounGation fit it therefore for activat.ing ad EiTring initid. stlGport to deVi!lopmr;ts that give reason fcr us to sx2ect that t5ey will later be self-re Wlating, self-sgpgorting snA of continus4 value. ?% can mdertake experimnts on a scale larppr thn can us-mlly be afforded. `t% can eo-ordinate md -xrvs?maax withut clear-cut ideas as to horn it is to end aid when or 1108 mr obligations are to teminate; and lastly, `to ?EI 30 occupied with tke study and consiieration of new wdect&iiip thet cur observafion of curmnt program is inaccu=.a+t. or inadequate. Freedos to tal>= up new activities means nothing i:mm than dansr unless rn t&e tim to study and reflect upon then. TZia power cc~fsrred b;~ a large incom mans nothing good uraless a prolmrtionate a-.iomt ar,d qualit:; of tho1i:kt is pc;ssible, Eow, presstlm of correspmd..emx, of smdl details, of many visitors and, EO% least, of freqmrit, field trips in wkich s?.:xsi; eve= xinute is taken, reduces to a vsry peat extsnt the o~~~crtunitiou for solid mading., caref'ul discussion and roasoned mf1ectio:i upm ??e validjty and useftllness of our activitiss, and their a3a;)tatiori to %':e various conditiozis FB i~~et~ Seven years experience has promd to 3-e that WB are constantly in danger of beiw in the thick of thin thines .. thin not in mount but in quality and sisificancs.