Tobacco Documents Online

To: From: Subject: The clarity and logical structure of Lewis Powell's writings make them a joy to read; so easy to understand once over. Thanks for sending this latest one to me. In reading through his comments starting part way down page 19, it - immediately brought to mind the "Draft Statement for Bill Enactment` dated 3/ 17/70 which Jim Bowling sent me. Let me plagiarize Lewis Powell's words here and suggest it for the final paragraph in this draft statement -- "In retrospect, we have erred in permitting blatant untruths and emotional charges to be unanswered. As a result, what is not universally accepted among the most obj'ective and rigorous institutions of research, we have lost in the arenas of public opinion. "While we were relatively silent and inactive in this critical area of public opinion, the most devastating political and psychological media warfare ever known was conducted against us. It was aided by massive, unprecedented, government enforced free TV' time, which brought into every American home exaggerated statements and psychological vignettes, often selected for sensationalism and sometimes even for bias. This reporting did not portray a balanced overall picture. Certainly it was not designed to reflect the status of research knowledge as eminent scientists think it to be. The result was widespread popular misconception--both as to the nature of disease and the role of smoking. "We hope to correct this and encourage objective reasoning so that all forces can be effectively utilized to resolve the un- answered questions in the smokiZg-jand health controversy." PHILIP MORRIS U.S.A. INTER --0FFICE CORRESPONDENCE 100 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 U • Mr. J. F. Cullman 3rd ~1// Date: March 19, 1970 • R. R. Millhiser JI-4 • Lewis Powell's "Comments on the Vietnamese War". RRM:dk cc: -/Mr. G. Wei~ssman Mr. P. D. Smith Mr. J. C. Bowling