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of Africa, always seeking the Coelacanth. A great deal of time and 

 many thousands of pounds have been spent in this search. 



The Coelacanth at the Comoro Islands was saved chiefly because 

 of my search and propaganda leaflets. I regarded and regard that 

 fish as ethically mine. Had it been found by purely French effort, 

 I should have made no effort whatever to get it. 



It may be recorded that I asked Captain Hunt if he got another 

 Coelacanth in French waters, as a result of my search, to hand it to 

 the French authorities. 



I do not regard this fish as belonging to me personally, or even to 

 one country, but to the world of science. I have already told the 

 South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research that 

 it should be examined by a panel of International Experts, and we 

 are at present considering how this may be arranged. Scientists in 

 France will have an equal opportunity with those of other countries. 

 A statement about this will appear in the journal Nature (London) 

 on February 28 next. 



Early in March 1953 I submitted a memorandum requesting 

 from the French Government permission to hunt fishes in their 

 territories,*' exactly as we had been granted permission by all 

 other foreign governments in Africa. Time was of course a vital 

 factor, and it was disturbing that only in May 1953 did I receive 

 in reply a request for further information relating to that applica- 

 tion. 



On the 8th May 1953, to acquaint him with what was happen- 

 ing and hoping that he might be able to assist, I wrote to Millot 

 as follows : 



... I now enclose a copy of a statement about the poison and 

 explosives we wish to use. To you personally I stress again that we 

 are exceedingly careful in our use of these from every point of view. 

 Not only do we always aim at causing the least possible damage to 

 natural life, but we are fully aware of the effect of such methods on 

 the minds of primitive people. We have our own ways of impressing 

 on the Natives that both these methods are not for the ordinary man, 

 and that, especially in the case of explosives, disaster will almost 

 certainly follow their use. 



It is not only in your territories that these methods are forbidden, 

 but in all, and it is because of our reputation and the great care that 

 we always exercise that all the other Governments have given me this 



* Up to September 1955 no specific reply to this request has been received. 



