NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD — BENNETT 69 



Institute of Pacific Relations, the Councils, and several universities. 

 Everyone invited received the following letter in advance : 



Dear Sir: 



On Monday, October 5, 1942, the Ethnogeographic Board, at the suggestion 

 of the American Council of Learned Societies, is holding a dinner conference of 

 Far Eastern geographers. We hope to stimulate discussion around the following 

 points : 



1. What are the immediate needs in the field of Oriental geography? 



2. Would it be worth while to make an attempt to estabhsh a Central 



Institute of Oriental Geography? 



3. Are there any specific tasks in this field which might be planned and 



administered from Washington but undertaken and carried through 

 at various universities, libraries, and other institutions throughout the 

 country ? 



4. Given the acute shortage of Oriental geographers, could a training 



program be devised for the emergency? 



5. And any others which may seem worthy of discussion. 



You are cordially invited to attend this dinner which will be at 7 : 00 o'clock at 

 the Cosmos Club (cocktails at 6:30). We would appreciate hearing at the 

 earliest possible opportunity whether it will be possible for you to attend. If you 

 care to suggest any addition to the list of those invited which accompanies this 

 letter, please do so. 



Very sincerely yours, 



Wm. Duncan Strong, Director. 



As a direct outcome of this conference a Committee on Asiatic 

 Geography was established in the National Research Council for con- 

 tinued exploration of the problems raised. 



3. NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES DINNER (OCTOBER 12, I942) 



Following a preliminary discussion with Cora DuBois and others 

 interested in the East Indies, the Director invited 15 people for a 

 discussion dinner at the Cosmos Club. Among the attendants were 

 representatives of the Army, Office of Strategic Services, Board of 

 Economic Warfare, Tariff Commission, Library of Congress, Bu- 

 reau of American Ethnology, Institute of Pacific Relations, East In- 

 dies Institute, Netherlands Embassy, Board of Economic and Finan- 

 cial Affairs in Netherlands Surinam and Curagao, Chief Liaison for 

 Netherlands East Indies in Australia and New Zealand, and the 

 Councils. No record was kept of the informal discussion. 



4. NEAR EAST DINNER (OCTOBER I9, I942) 



At the instigation of Philip W. Ireland, Department of State, the 

 Board and the American Council of Learned Societies joined to give 



