Friday Night 8/28.

My Dear Sweetheart,

Your letter was just as sweet as it could be, and I certainly appreciate your good intentions regarding my co-worker. I am sending under separate cover a reprint of the article given at New Orleans last November. White does not like this very well and quite often he tries to attack it, without referring to the article, but it does not cover so much but what we (KS and I) are quite sure. He (White) really wishes that the information reported there had been held up until he joined our force, and that his name had appeared.

August 28, 1925 (Walter)

I finished my report before I went to his lab in Washington and when I let him read the report it had already been presented at N.O. so he didn’t have a chance to do anything with that one. When he criticized me for using the reference to “damp sand” in the last paper, I told him that it made little difference now as I had already treated that phase in the N.O. report, and that the distribution in the U.S. had also been reported. He honestly believes that we have the cause of the disease now, but I am afraid that we haven’t. I want to find this in another animal and also to produce the disease before it is reported. We disagree sometimes and I have no hesitancy in telling him when I think he is wrong. He is now pretty well convinced that he was wrong about the crabs, though he won’t admit it. He is also more or less convinced that the “doodles” like the ones in Texas are not the cause. He thought this pretty strongly. As a disease man he probably knows his job, but as a student of nature and a general observer I tell him he is “rotten.” Excuse the term. He does not get peeved but takes it good naturedly or at least appears to do so. When it is a disease question I consder that he is an authority but I don’t hesitate to tell him when he is out of his field and when I believe he is wrong. He is rather “bull headed” in his beliefs and I can’t quite go this. He would domineer if I’d let him, but we had an understanding that this was my problem and that he was here to assist on the medical aspects of the situation.

Your letters come in quick order now Dear. The one posted at 9:30 AM on the 26th, arrived here on the noon train of the 28th. They seem to find me quicker. I guess it is because they are not delayed in Jax anymore.

I love you, Sweetheart, and I want you more than you have ever thought. I don’t believe I could be happy without you, as I love you so very very much.

With a goodnight kiss,

Yours always & then some,
Walter