r 
2 
up in flames the main building does as well. This is a question 
■which you and Br. Wetmore should discuss carefully, and you should 
have readily available information as to how many scientists you 
can care for, both as to living quarters and laboratory space. 
7. Your statement about the cable is one on which I am still 
working. If ■the cable must be provided from nondefense funds, it 
seaas clear that both you and 1 will be out of the pictxire before 
such ftinds are a-vrailable. Just yesterday I wro^te a letter to 
Mr. Beed, Chairman of the Arctic Beseairch Laboratory Advisoiy Board, 
suggesting that he try to get •fche Arctic, Besert, Tropic groups to 
pool their efforts so that funds would be available for three 
laboratories: (a) Arctic - Point Barrowj (b) Desert - site to be 
chosenj and (e) Tropic • Barro Colorado, together with such other 
space as might be borrowed from the military in the Canal Zone. I 
would not want to clutter up the Island with so much defense work 
that it ceases to be a biological area. This must be held at aJJ. 
costs. This plan seems so reasonable that it should win out, but 
these things aU take time and your generators are not getting 
younger, 
I feel, therefore, tliat your planning for the balance of this 
fiscal year should includes (a) completion of the new building; 
(b) the purchase of required motor generators; and (c) the purcliase 
of tlie library book sections mentioned In your letter of August 10, 
1950* We have your needs for ■these sections at an estimated total 
cost of $1,385* These prices, however, are being rechecked by our 
property office on the basis of present prices. This last Item (c) 
is also important since steel cases will not be a-milable 
indefini^tely, We may even have trouble getting them now. 
9. We will await Soper's recommendations (yotnr paragraph 6) before 
we check prices on generators. We may also need a letter addressed 
to you from Soper indicating the ad^vlsability of obtaining specific 
makes for use under ■tropical conditions. It certainly is no economy 
to buy cheap material lirtiich will not stand xq). Please get up the 
Soper recommendations as soon as possible, and see if you can 
tighten down the estimate for completing the new building so we will 
know what we have available in the -way of funds for the balance of 
this fiscal year. Planning on the expenditure of those funds must 
start vei-y soon, since you know we cannot wait too long and be sure 
of closing the transactions. 
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10. Mr. Tom Clark tells me that he has not yet receivoid your reply 
to his letter of 12/27/5I regarding money obligated in the second 
quarter. He is most anxious to have this figure, which need not be 
worked out to the penny but can be a good close estimate. 
Sincerely yours. 
JICGrs-f:ac (extra copy for Dr .svetmore) 
J. E. Graf 
Assistant Secretary 
