DRAFT 
September , 1955 
Dr. George W. Hast 
Mepera Chemical Compai^ 
Yonkers 2, New York 
Dear Dr. Mast: 
Shortly before leaving for the Belgian Congo last March I had the 
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pleasure of making the acquaintance of your Dr, Ered.A. Barclay at the 
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Cosmos dub in coapany with a mutual fzdend^ Ellswbrth Klllip, Dr. 
Barcliy suggested that I save sane soil samplea/ere drying and sacking 
fron the Belgian Congo but a few fron they^udan along the upper reaches 
of the Nile. Would you be interested having them for biotic assay,- 
or should I say anti-biotic assay? 
so I will express them to you. 
I realize that this examination wi^ be an undertaking of considerable 
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magnitude and a gamble at best; b^t some very wonderful and valuable 
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things do sometimes come out of /soil samples. Kay this happen in this 
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case tool / 
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May I be so forward at this time to express the hope that the 
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institution be permitted sc«e reasonable share in aiy profits resulting 
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ultimately from your examMation of these samples, if only to replenish 
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the Snithsonian-Bredin fjn6 which made the expedition possible. 
The sanples are at /present in the custody of Er. ¥illis H. Wheeler 
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of the thiited States Department of Agriculture, who will release than 
if he can be assured that you will properly safeguard this unfumigated 
material as required by the Department's regulations. If you are X 
