35 
and that you are not contemplating any rash 
moves, T remain, with kindest regards. 
P. S. Remember, Meyer, that you are a 
very valuable man to America just now. If a 
commission's sent to Siberia it might be ad- 
visable for you to assist it. Nothing is 
definite yet. 
Mr. Falrchild wrote again on April 11, 191?! 
I am enclosing herewith a copy of a letter, 
dated January 8, received from Mr. G. V/eidman 
Groff, of the Canton Christian College, Canton, 
China, during my absence in Florida. I have not 
been able to find out as yet whether Mr. Groff 
is coming to this country this spring or not. 
I surmise that he is, 'however, in which case I 
will talk the whole situation over with him, if 
he can get down to Washington. It strikes me 
that there is something feasible in his proposal 
to place a Chinese collector with you, v/hom you 
can train and whom you can leave at the College 
as a permanent asset. We could pay part of his 
salary and get in return the collections - our 
share, at least - which he would make. Please 
discuss this thoroughly with the authorities of 
the Canton Christian College and give me your 
opinion with regard to the matter . Let me know 
definitely how much money would be involved in 
such an undertaking and what you think the 
country would get out of it. Do not forget that 
the Canton Christian College is largely an Ameri- 
can institution designed to help China, 
The enclosure, Mr. Groff s letter of January 8, I916, reads 
as follows: 
You doubtless know that Mr. E. D. Merrill, 
botanist of the Bureau of Science in Manila, is 
cooperating with us in a thorough botanical sur- 
vey of the regions near Canton. This will doubt- 
less grow into a complete survey of South China. 
Mr. Merrill visited the college last fall and 
helped to establish the herbarium. ?/e now have 
full equipment and have already collected more 
than 700 species. These are to be identified 
by Mr. Merrill of the Philippines. Mr. C. 0. 
Levine, our representative from the Kansas State 
Agricultural College, whom you met last summer, 
is in charge of this work. He has an assist- 
ant, a native collector who is continually work- 
ing in field or herbarium. Students and friends 
December 31, I917. 
