Guayaquil Dec 19 1953 
Dr Ai exander Wetmore 
c/o Zeppenfeldt, 
Hoogstraat 12, 
Curacao, Noth. West Indies: 
My dear Alex: 
Yesterday I received yours of 15th. I don’t know if this will reach 
you before will have left for the Upper Orinoco, or just before you are ready for 
your migration northward to the Zone. 
First of all my congratulations,- you are doing the right thing. I look forward 
to meeting Mrs. Wetmore. 
I exoect to return to Balboa toward the end of January. .It will depend largely on 
what my specialist Slfredito says, but T am feeling fine. T won’t be able to play 
that most stupid game of trying to do the work of triplets. 
I am sure Adel a mil handle your shipment just as well as I wild or could. We have 
in her a very qualified person. Probably more qualified than 3.1. appreciates. She 
knows all of the office and fiscal matters, knows the island well, and is a diplo¬ 
mat as well . It would be very hard to replace her. 
The 12th was my 67th, fine celebration engineered by Ella. But as if nature her¬ 
self did not want to be undone, at 1230 pm it started, a very violent earthquake 
of long duration, oscillatory, epicenter evidently near. I have been thru many but 
this one beats them all .To get excited, would rot have help me, so I syayed put 
and continued to type,- I could not he& but see the swaying, the hanging ceiling 
lamp 45 degrees. One of the i adies in the front room wanted to hold hands, so I 
compromized on one hand. Ella was in the rear and trying to make wore rapid pro- 
gres forward to see how I was and had to sort of 1 aught when she found me so calm.. 
She brought me whiskey and coke which is good with or without a quake. The epi¬ 
center was Tumbez Peru, at the border. About 30” more of the vio 1 ent shaking and 
many houses would have flattened. Streets full of people kneeling. 
Hope you have a splendid trip with Mrs 
I mean is A-l. My warmest to you all, 
Wetmore, with health, good as can be, 
y hasta luego 
what 
% 
