Alexander Wetmore 
- 2 - 
Qcl^ober 30, 1940 
7. The problem relating to some paintings about which you had detected 
a more or less fishy odor is progressing according to schedule. The odor now 
more closely approximates that of a dead whale. The Secretary, Harry horsey, 
and Tolman are all in on it. Fortunately we caught the subject in its early 
stages and hope that it may be cleared up. 
i 
8. A radio'through the Interior Department asks for directions for pre¬ 
paring South Pole specimens and indicated they were planning to abandon the equip¬ 
ment. 1 informed MacDonald that according to ny belief government equipment coiild 
not be abandoned and that he should radio our men to bring theirs back. Kellogg 
also prepared directions for preserving specimens. Since then we have had a radio 
through a Cjalifornia amateur direct from Brieri^and transmitted here by air mail. 
This'fellow offered to send a radio message of one hundred words without charge 
except for cost of postage. ?ve took advantage of this offer to send Br^ari*^an 
identifying list of the more important items of equipment^ and repeating that he 
should bring them back with him. It has been learned since that the other depart¬ 
ments are greatly agitated about their equipment. 
9. Yesterday drawjrings were made for the Nation^sl Selective Training 
System and apparently there is a large government committee being appointed to 
consider possible deferments for people in the federal service, ivlcReyholds is 
going to head this, thank goodness, and 1 have been designated as Smithsonian 
representative. Vve have very few cases for deferment since most of our men for 
whom deferment would be requested are mrried and are this placed in the more 
satisfactory group No. 3 instead of 2, Occupational. 
10. Garber is in New York picking airplanes fron the Arny exiiioit. He is 
also looking into the problera of getting several snail exhibits for the engine<r^’n^ 
collections. 
11. Bill Wannand N. Dorsey have been in touch wit^h the General Accounting 
Office regarding bids on the Zoo restaurant and I think-fhey can work out a plan 
which will be entirely satisfactory, to us. , .r,, .■ 
12. The site for the Cosiaos Club has been purchased ♦ It i^i the tiiree 
eastern most lots of the group we were considering on HfStreet—to iiy way of 
thinking by far the "best in the lot . The price v/as vl93^250 with over 19,000 
feet of ground and 132 foot frontage. Plans are going forward and tae Advisory 
Coniioittee nas already gone over one set of sketcned plans and indicated tneir 
preferences on several basic ioatters. Tnere tiireatenedh to be a tecipest in a tea-^ 
pot over these plans but 1 tiiink every tning ims now be eh ironed out. 
I 
13- Piqi|®tt inf'orns me that due to the Captain on hi^ ship ne was forced; 
to leave Cristobal a dav before vou arrived ho he was not able to meet vou as ne 
had planned. 
14. About a week ago the club had one of their round-ups in the natimre v 
of a dinner in honor Qf past presiaents. Too bad you ^*|ere beaten out of a free 
meal. It was very pleasant and since Robert O’Brian Toast^oaster you can well 
imagine that everyone had a good time. j 
