SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
March 25, 1946 
Dr. Alexander Wetmore, 
U.S. Army Auxiliary Air Field, 
A.P.O. 825 A, 
New Orleans, Louisiana. 
Dear Dr, Ys’etraore: 
The enclosed clippings from the SUNDAY STAB may interest you. I 
believe the story on the Smithsonian is very good. It certainly came to 
me as a surprise, as I have never heard of the man before and did not 
know that such an article was in preparation. 
The announcement of delay in the atomic bomb tests catches us 
rather flat-footed. The question of whether Waldo Schmitt will now go to 
Ecuador or hold himself in reserve for the atom bomb test is something 
which apparently cannot be settled at the moment. Fortunately the 
Ecuadorian trip was not cancelled since I only notified the State Depart¬ 
ment to hold itself in readiness to start cancellation procedures but not 
to take up the matter with Ecuador until I gave them further word. I 
would not be at all surprised if the tests were called off completely. 
Most of the people with whom I have talked seem to think that the cause 
for delay is not tied up in any way with scientific aspects of the 
problem. This would tend to throw it into the field of international 
relations; and if matters keep proceeding as smoothly as they are at the 
moment, I doubt if the tests will ever come off. In case the entire 
thing is called off, the Navy will undoubtedly bring up the subject of 
returning Schultz and Morrison as soon as possible. Even should the most 
rapid progress be made, the men would have had at least a month for 
collecting at the atoll, and this should give us quite a bit of information. 
I furnish you this information about the atom bomb tests since 
my letter of larch 22 discussed the sending of Schmitt as one of the 
President's civilian advisors. 
I am also sending you a copy of a memorandum from Dr. Schmitt 
concerning the early visit to this country of Dr. Folke Linder. If you 
agree with Dr. Schmitt and are willing to put a top limit on what the 
Smithsonian would give as a grant, I will take it up with the State 
Department to see what they would consider the usual grant in such cases. 
Linder himself says in his letter, "As I think you will remember, I have 
had some identification work for the Museum during many years. Ten years 
ago you asked me if I could work up your big collection of Branchiopoda 
Notostraca. At that time I could not accept your generous offer, but now 
I have taken up the Notostraca, preparing a monograph. I could do that 
work during a stay at Vsashington, and, simultaneously, identify other 
lower Crustacea." I am sending you this information since I think a reply 
is due Dr. Linder before your return. 
JEGsnmh 
