June 14 , 1938 
My dear Mr. President? 
Your kind offer to allow a scientist from the Smithsonian Institution 
to accompany your coming cruise is most deeply appreciated. After consideration 
of the localities that will he visited and the type of work that will he possible, 
with your approval, we plan to detail Dr. Waldo L. Schmitt, Curator of Marine 
Invertebrates, in the U« S. National Museum, for this work. The more important 
results are to he expected from the sea hence our selection of a man skilled 
in marine life. 
Dr. Schmitt is an expert marine zoologist and while he has not pub- 
lished on fishes, is well acquainted with the marine fish fauna that will be en- 
countered, He is experienced in field work and on previous expeditions for us 
has visited the Galapagos Islands on three occasions, has traveled entirely 
around the coast of South America down to Tierra del Fuego, has visited the 
Falkland Islands, and has traveled in the West Indies. He is thoroughly 
familiar with life aboard ship and with the type of scientific collecting that 
will be possible on your cruise. 
We will expect to pay Dr. Schmitt's transportation to the point of 
embarkation, his subsistence while on board ship, and his transportation to Wash- 
ington at the end of the cruise. We will also supply the necessasy collecting 
equipment. In addition to collecting specimens we will wish to have him try 
modern color photograph on the brilliantly colored fishes and other marine 
animals encountered . 
Opportunity to investigate Clipperton Island is especially welcome 
as in our previous work we havWpot been successful in reaching that spot, 
Clipperton is the only coral atoll in the eastern Pacific and there is promise 
of much of interest there, as well as at the other localities to be visited. 
i, 
Dr. Wstmore, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has 
brought to my attention the enclosed publication on the birds of Clipperton and 
Cocos Islands, that I take the liberty of forwarding to you because of the 
excellent account of the physical features of these two islands found in the intro 
duction. If convenient, this may be returned to us some time later as the paper 
comes from Dr. Wetmore's personal library. 
If the proposal made is acceptable, we shall greatly appreciate definite 
information as to the time and place of sad ling and any other data that may be 
required for Dr. Schmitt's information. 
Thanking you again for your consideration, I have the honor to remain 
Yours faithfully, 
C. G. Abbot 
Secretary. 
The President 
Washington, D. C. 
