Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-30
By DAVID S. BRODER
Star Staff Writer

The National Institutes OF
Health report on birth control
research. published yesterday
after a delay Of more than q
year, was so heavily edited
that its original policy message
was all but obliterated.
1t was designed initially as
a summons to scientists for
an about effort to solve the
mysteries Of human fertility
But it emerged so antiseptically
sterile that its intended mean
ing almost disappeared.
Work on the report began in
mid-l961. when high officials
OF the Kennedy administration
became convinced that Amer
lean research scientists could
and should help the underde-
veloped countries receiving
United States aid cope with
their population problems.
There were months of re-
writing as officials wrestled
with the challenge of getting
this message across to the SCI
entists without arousing bitter
public controversy over birth
control.
Decision Reversed
Finally, last September. Sur
geon General Luther l.. Terry
decided the task was impossible
and ordered the report aban-
doned. Two days after his de-
cision was disclosed, Welfare
Secretary Celebrezze reversed
1t and ordered work continued
toward a new deadline of jan
uary /.
When the report finally
emerged yesterday, it was a
document vastly different from
that its authors originally had
drawn.
There was no explicit state
mentor even a yelled one
suggesting that a higher prior
ity be given to research on hui
man fertility. Instead, the re-
port spoke Of the Substantial
support" NH is already giving
to basic research on the biol
ogy Of human reproduction"
1t said NH is supporting ITO
projects likely to provide SCI
entific information which may
be applicable to birth control"
at a current cost of $2.8 mil
lion a year.
This is about three times the
sum NH was spending in this
field in 1960-though the re-
port did not say so-but still
a small fraction of its total
1862 research budget of $463
million.
Spending Only $30,134
The report disclosed, but did
not comment on, the fact that
NH is spending only $30,134
this year for studies that could
help perfect the rhythm meth
cd" of family planning, the
only method sanctioned by the
Roman Catholic Church.
1t stated fatty that "a re-
search program to find new
techniques (of fertility conrtol)
which would be less expensive
or less prone to failure by
reason of human error is not
an objective toward which NH
has a planned effort"
Ironically. a planned effort"
by NH in this area is exactly
what this report originally was
intended to stimulate. ,,ai.'
The story has its start in the
upper reaches Of the State De-
partment. Shortly after Presi-
dent Kennedy took office, the
departments policy planning
council began a re-evaluation
Of world population trends and
their implications for the
United States.
Its findings. reported to Sec
rotary Of State Rusk and the
President in mid-June, 1861,
argued that the United States
should undertake "a more posi-
tive policy" toward the popula-
ton problem.
States Conclusions
1t stated these conclusions:
/. The ability Of underdevel-
oped countries to control fur
ther unwanted increases in
population is perhaps the
greatest single determinant of
their ability to make progress
with the help Of American for
eign aid.
2. Political, social and reli-
gious attitudes in this country
make 1t impossible for the
United States to give any direct,
large-scale assistance to these
countries, even on request, on
population control.
8. Nonetheless, there is much
the United States can do. par
ticularly in research. and in the
Exchange Of information and in
encouragement Of private
efforts. to help these nations
carry out population policies OF
their choice.
Among the specific recon-
mendations was a request to
NH to expand its research pro-
grams in this area to at least
$40 million a year as quickly as
projects and personnel permit.
Shortly thereafter, NH staff
members began the survey OF