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Dr. Alexander Wetmore. 
How long this support endures can only be told when you are able to measure the 
crosscurrents existing in the committee, I think it will take a bit of diplomacy 
to be sure the work starts off on the right foot since this will be of the very 
greatest importance in insuring results. If the committee starts out quarreling 
I am afraid its usefulness will be jeopardized. My own feeling is that you should 
give quite a bit of attention to a five or ten-minute talk to be made by the chair¬ 
man at the beginning of the first meeting. This talk should point out the first 
activities of the committee, which should obviously be rather general and along 
lines in which all members are rather well agreed. It would also be well for you, 
in your introductory remarks, to touch on the matter of contract versus work in 
government laboratories, and to state plainly that Since the needs are so diverse 
it is impossible to stress any specific policy Covering these two subjects. 
Obviously the decision will have to be based largely on the needs of the various 
departments; and the relationships of contract to government research will have to 
be determined by the heads of the departments to meet their needs in the most effec¬ 
tive manner. As to government research, I think that while the points to be con¬ 
sidered cover quite an area, they are all related to the question of getting the 
right man to do a specific research job to be sure that he has the proper equipment 
and facilities to do that work and understanding supervision which will best 
facilitate research. 
In stating an over-all policy along such lines, I am sure that no one can 
quarrel with the policy expressed, and thus the work of the committee should start 
out smoothly. I am afraid that unless this is done rather firmly and well we 
might start out with groups trying to put over specific programs which are of 
interest to themselves rather than to the development of a sound Federal research 
policy. 
I sent you a copy of the reply I made to Nolan's memorandum requesting 
suggestions. I am sending you herewith copies of suggestions received from the 
Air Force, Research and Development Board, and the Navy Department. 
My reason for. making this material available to you before your return is that 
you might have a chance to do a little thinking on this matter and make some pre¬ 
liminary plana before you arrive in Washington. It is barely possible that you may 
be pitched into this with little delay, and I want to be certain that you impress 
the members of your committee with the fact that you have some very definite 
ideas on this subject. Should the committee start out without strong leadership, 
it might be difficult to get them to work together later. 
Coming back to Air Museum business, I am sending you a memorandum which Mitman 
has just sent to me and which you may also want to consider in view of your early 
meeting with the National Air Museum Board. Mitman's suggestion is very good; 
but, of course, you will want to be certain that such an appointment would be 
acceptable to the Air Force. I realize that General Arnold is the builder of our 
great Air Force and is generally recognized as such; but sometimes men in active 
service are not too enthusiastic about retired people taking too active a part in 
current affairs. 
