UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY 
NATIONAL AIR MUSEUM 
NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
NATIONAL COLLECTION OF FINE ARTS 
FREER GALLERY OF ART 
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SERVICE 
CANAL ZONE BIOLOGICAL AREA 
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 
March 19/ 1948 
Dr. Alexander Wetmore, 
Parita, Herrera, 
Republic of Panama. 
Dear Dr. Wetmore: 
We fell down on getting any additional funds from the Senate. I was certain 
we would get some but from what I hear they had quite a bitter struggle in the 
Senate Committee; and since Senator White could not be reached to take our part, 
we apparently just lost out. I think a little more cooperation on the part of 
his secretary might have been very useful. At least we did not lose any of the 
funds we had in the House and some of the agencies did. I think I have already 
told you that the Bureau of the Budget lost $100,000 in the House and $200,000 
dn theiSenatev 7: m %-■ 
Since I was absent at the time you an^Mitman were making plans about the 
A3r Museum, I think it best to send to you/a copy of the letter to Taylor and 
also a copy of the administrative bulletin showing the changes. Since the head 
curatof ship job is vacant, Mitman having been promoted to the other Job, I think 
it would be a cleaner cut situation if Taylor were made .acting head curator 
subject to Mitman’s advice. For the moment we are going ahead and letting Mitma 
use the title "Head Curator' 1 but this is not strictly according to hoyle. This 
is something which should not be continued too long. 
I am sending you copies of letters sent to Zetek, which I think with the 
others he has received, will answer all of his questions. Both Tom Clark and 
Jack seem to think it would be quite a Job to move about 70 tons of material up 
to the site of the tank. 
The letter to McCall is in answer to a memorandum he sent me at my suggestion 
after a telephone call from him. Personally I do not see how we can publish 
Tom’s book and do Justice to our own staff. 
Harry Dorsey has Just informed me that Nick wants to retire April 1, and 
I have told him that probably that would be the best thing. Nick is a very sick 
man, showing improvement on some days and slipping back on others. Harry has 
also indicated that he himself wants to retire on May 1. I have asked him, how¬ 
ever, to make no firm committments on this until he has a chance to talk with you. 
I will certainly hate to see Harry go, as he has some very necessary qualifications 
that all the rest of us lack. • 
I had quite a talk with Harry about the archives the other day; and I sug¬ 
gested that it would be a good plan for him to go over the situation with Mrs. 
Clark as I think they should probably be put in the Library's keeping. Mrs. 
Clark is very anxious that no steps be taken for their transfer elsewhere until 
