April 11 , 1939 
Dear Dr. Schmitt: 
Your letter from Barranqailla came yesterday, along with 
the regular mail one from Panama. 
I mailed a letter to you to La Guaira, so you will soon 
get it if you haven't already. Mrs. Schmitt called me up several 
days ago to check on the La Guaira address, and you will undoubtedly 
hear from her there, too. I really can't think of much to say today, 
hut I suppose you'll he looking for mail at Port of Spain. 
Miss McCulloch's letters were very interesting. Would you 
he seriously interested in the proposition? 
Jane did not go off for the week end. There was not even 
any further discussion of it after Edwin's accident. It is too had 
that kid didn't blow himself to kingdom come and he done with it. It 
looks to me as though he's nothing hut a worry and a drain on his family 
and he's going to he worse now that he has only one eye. He was to have 
begun a new job in Baltimore today. Jane is afraid they won't take him 
when they see the condition he is in, if they are willing to save 
for him at all. She has been advised for the second time to have her 
appendix out immediately. She is wailing around hereabout having to 
stay in bed for ten days "at this time of year." I told her she'd get 
little sympathy from me from that angle. I told her she has only one 
body and if she doesn't take care of it, she won't grow another one. 
I took most of yesterday off. Florence and I went egg-rolling 
at the White House with her three small visitors and my cousin Betty. 
The children all had a good time, and we enjoyed it too. It was a lovely 
warm day. We got there in time to see both Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt make 
their appearance. Florence's young nephew, about thirteen, said he is 
going to be*^>resident some day. He says, "You don't have to know any 
grammar, because you have secretaries to put your letters in good English 
for you. You don't have to know any 'rithmetic, because you have a 
treasurer to count your money for you. All you have to know how to do is 
f i shl " 
The Shoemakers have been quite upset. Mr. Wetherly's nephew, 
whom he practically raised and educated, was killed a few days ago in 
an airplaie accident. He was a pilot in the Coast Guard. Mr. Wetherly 
learned of it through a newspaper account. There were four Coast Guard 
men in the plane when it went down in a remote section in Texas. The 
other three escaped in parachutes, made their way to a town, and reported 
the accident. Something happened to the other fellow's parachute and it 
did not open properfcr. Mr. Shoemaker said this morning that they will 
bring him here to Arlington. 
