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Mary LaskerMary Lasker
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left, I finally said to the leader of this small group, “If you don't want to do anything about this, Deeda and I will stop promoting it immediately.”

“Oh, no,” he said, “we'd be glad to explore it.” And then they went on about something about money, as if there was too much money, and I said, “Well, I tell you, if there's too much money, I can stop a billion dollars in the N.I.H. appropriations right away.” You know? You know, they're people that are totally without any zeal or interest in getting anything accomplished. And there were plenty of them. And these are the ones that we have to deal with - very disheartening.

Q:

Well, is it not perhaps that they don't have the large vision of what could be accomplished?

Lasker:

They really would be horrified if they thought something big in cancer research was going to happen, because that would mean that their jobs were threatened. You know?

Q:

Did you attempt with Mrs. Blair to prepare these doctors in advance of this meeting?

Lasker:

Yes, we talked to them.

Q:

In advance?

Lasker:

Yes. And they sounded as if they were, you know, moderately interested in the matter, and they had been part of the -- French cooperation really got started with our push. We had the wife of the French Ambassador, Mme. Kosiusko-Morizet, really interested, and on the French side the doctors





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