Jan., 'o6] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 15 



Editors of Entomological News. 

 Dear Sirs : 



As to your course in publishing the injurious letter of Dr. 

 Jno. B. Smith, of New Jersey, in your Nov. issue, only re- 

 cently noted, it would seem a safe policy for any publication 

 first to make some inquiry as to whether there might not be an 

 animus beneath and no basis for such serious statements, and 

 even if found to be true, to be cautious in uttering a libel. 



You ask me to be brief in writing and say you do not court 

 controversial articles. I should have supposed the opposite 

 to be the case, and rather that you would be glad to give one 

 so traduced the largest opportunity. 



The pretext for the attack is that Dr. Smith's name is given 

 as one of the Advisory Board of Entomologists of the Am. 

 Mosquito Extermination Society in your October reprint of a 

 circular sent out generally by the Society in July last and be- 

 fore any declination had been received. 



On February 19, 1904, we sent out a tentative circular 

 — headed " Printer's Proof" — to the two Advisory Boards, 

 saying to each person, including Dr. S., that he had been 

 selected on such board, and closed thus: "We should be 

 greatly pleased to have your written acceptance of the part 

 appointed to you by the Executive Committe, but, knowing 

 your interest in the work, we will take the liberty of assuming, 

 in case we do not hear from you directly, that the appoint- 

 ment is accepted." Neither Dr. S. or any one else declined 

 and many even wrote acceptances and all names thereafter 

 permanently appeared. There was every evidence that he 

 tacitly accepted (and it is to be hoped that no bare techni- 

 cality covers his statement that his name appears without his 

 permission), for instance, his taking part in the December, 

 '05, Convention and making no objection to the appearance of 

 his name on the letterheads and prints of the Society, many 

 of which he received. 



I had no knowledge of the bitterness which Dr. S. was 

 nursing until April 7, '05, when he wrote me of this, among 

 other things: " It may be well to advise my colleagues (on 

 the Ent. Adv. Bd.) who have been working on similar lines 



