Letter from Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen to President Johnson, 4/13/67

EVERETT McKINLEY dirksen MINORITY LEADER ILLINOIS United States Senate MM April 13, 1967 The President The White House Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President: One of the professors at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, a Czechoslovakian refugee by the name of Dr. Miodrag Ristic, has isolated an attenuated strain of the dread anaplasmosis disease which, as a good Texan, you know causes great damage to cattle herds in the southern and western parts of the United States. The University has made arrangements with the Diamond Laboratories, Inc. of Des Moines, Iowa to test and, hopefully, to produce the vaccine. Their problem is that at the moment the Department of Agriculture has taken the position that because this is a live vaccine no field tests will be allowed until the product has been proven "safe." The "safety" cannot be established without tests in the field. At the moment they seem to be at an impasse. I call this matter to your attention not only because of your interest in eradicating cattle diseases, but also because this particular development represents an important example of a cooperative program between a great University and private industry. Perhaps an expression of interest by you might help resolve the present impasse. Parenthetically, I should say that a plant has already been built in Mexico to produce this vaccine with the cooperation of the Mexican government, which is most encouraged about its prospects. Several other Latin American countries are vitally interested in this development. Sincerely, End Araksen Everett McKinley Dirksen