| IV. News Informal Meeting of Wheat Information Service On the occasion of the 1956 Genetics Symposia, a group of wheat geneticists met at the Junidan-ya, Gion, Kyoto, Sept. 12, 1956, to discuss various problems as announced in WIS No.3. Drs. J. W. Boyes (Canada), C. R. Burnham (U.S.A.), J. M. Capinpin (Philippines), B. C. Jenkins (Canada), A. Muntzing (Sweden), A. P. Pal (India), M. M. Rhoades (U.S.A.), L. Sachs (Israel), E. R. Sears (U.S.A.), J. M. Sirks (Netherlands), L. Stebbins (U.S.A.), O.Winge (Denmark), H. Kihara (Japan) and the members of the Committee of WIS attended. I. Wheat Genetics Symposium: At the similar meeting in Bellagio in 1953, it was decided that the wheat genetics symposium will be held in Japan in 1956, if possible, but this was not possible to act up to realize. Therefore, it was discussed to transfer it to Montreal, Canada, when the 10th International Genetics Congress is held in 1958. On Dr. Pal's motion, a committee was set up regarding this problem; the members are Dr. Kihara (Chairman), Dr. Jenkins, Dr. Muntzing, Dr. Pal, Dr. Sears and Dr. Yamashita. (Refer to Dr. Jenkins' letters quoted in the following paragraphs.) II. Subscription for the WIS publication: Dr. Yamashita, managing editor, reported that it is possible to receive further contributions from the organizations which assisted in the previous publications. However, many of the opinions came to the agreement to raise a subscription for the publication of WIS, except a few that there is a risk of limiting the circulation by this action. This matter was also entrusted to the committee mentioned above. Dr. Jenkin's letter of October 5, 1956 to Dr. J. B. Harrington, Plant Production Branch, FAO of the United Nations,Viale Delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy: "At the time of the meetings of the International Genetics Symposia, 1956 recently held in Japan, a group of wheat geneticists met to discuss the possibility of holding a Wheat Genetics Symposium in 1958. Since the Tenth International Genetics Congress will be held in Montreal from August 20 to 27, 1958, it was thought advisable that a Wheat Symposium be held immediately prior to the congress. A committee, with Dr. Kihara as chairman and members including Dr. Pal of India, Dr. Muntzing of Sweden, Dr. Sears of United States, Dr. Yamashita of Japan, and myself, was immediately realized that in order to hold an International Wheat Symposium, financial support would be required. The desirability of such a symposium was expressed without question and in fact it was pointed out that a separate international meeting on wheat was long overdue. It suggested that the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations might be interested in supporting this type of meeting and I agreed to write to you in the hope that you would be able to obtain a contact with the proper authorities so that we could carry on negotiations for financial assistance. If the Wheat Symposium were held immediately prior to the Genetics Congress, it might permit some people to attend who would otherwise find it impossible because of the great expense involved in travelling long distances. Winnipeg was suggested as a possible site for this first International Wheat Symposium and I think that by 1958 our facilities will be such that this would be an ideal choice. Construction is nearing completion on a new building for the Canada Department of Agriculture on the campus and a new building for the Faculty of Agriculture has just been started. By 1958 we should not only have adequate physical facilities but the fact that Canada is prominently associated with wheat would make it a logical place for the first international meeting of this kind. I hope that you will be able to suggest some suitable leads which could be relayed to Dr. Kihara." |
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