Wednesday Night.
We did get the house OK and the address is 712 Woodward St. We did not get the exhibit building for the Lab overflow, but I think we can get other lab quarters about four blocks from the office. Mr. Glass came Monday and Mr. A.L. Smith reported today. I have been sleeping at the Bushlands, also eating breakfast and Dinner. The water is on at our house & the gas heater has been connected. Lights & gas will be on soon.
With love
Walter.
March 11, 1942
Walter and Ina are now moving to Orlando so Walter can run the new insecticide research facility the USDA has set up there. They’re going to be testing any chemicals they think might work against disease vectors, especially lice and mosquitoes. Various companies make compounds that are purported to kill insects, but most are just marginally effective extracts from pyrethrum daisies, or toxic arsenic-based products. Chlorpicrin (tear gas) and a new compound from Geigy called Neocid look promising, but nobody knows whether either will actually work under field conditions. The Orlando lab’s job is to get those data, and then develop practical insecticides if possible.
Monday P.M. 3/9-42
My dear Ina & Boys,
I arrived here at 4:30 PM Eastern War time which made 11 hours to get here, a distance of 348 miles by the speedometer. Mr. Glass had already arrived & he was looking for an apartment with Mr. Burris the realtor. They came back to the lab just as I got out of the car. I went with Mr. Burris to see Mrs. Smith & I gave a check for $45. Of this $30 is the balance of 1 month’s rent & $15 covers deposits & gas electricity & water. The realtor will make the deposits & get the services connected. It is a good thing that I made a deposit with Mrs. Smith. One party has been trying all day to rent the house & she had made them wait until tomorrow. Mr. Glass helped me unload the car & we put the things inside. THe house looks even better than it did the other day. There is a closet in to the sleeping porch room & big closets in other rooms. Also shades are on all windows except the 2 little windows over the book cases. The bed rooms seem a little larger than they did the other day.
Mr. Bushland asked me to use their day-bed tonight & I will go out there. Tomorrow I’ll get the bed material that Ed brought down & fix a bed at the house. I am writing this in the car because I do not have a key yet & all are away just now.
With love
Walter.
Wash DC, Thurs 2/26-42
My dear Ina & Boys,
Cannot come home this week & it may be a week from now. Bruce will get here Sat. morning & I’ll have to go over the work I have been doing & leave it with him. Also, I have a trip to New Brunswick N Jersey to see some Rutgers College men & some mosquito repellent men. It looks like I may have to go to Chicago, leaving here Tuesday night to check on a steam sterilization the Army is making at Chicago. If so, I’ll probably leave there Wed. night & come to Pensacola by train then by bus to Panama City. This would make it at least Thursday night before I could get there.
February 26, 1942
We had a conference with 5 Rockefeller men this PM. 2 of them will work on the same problem I am undertaking at Orlando. They are interested especially in typhus as a post war disease.
With love
Walter.
Walter doesn’t provide much detail about the trip to New Jersey here, but that’s probably when he visited the Geigy Corporation‘s US headquarters to hear about a compound they’d been working on.
Tuesday night 2/24-42
My dear Sweetheart,
The money on the repellent project $44800 became available today and things will pick up now. The present work on fumigants including tests with the Army will require approximately 2 weeks. At a conference this PM Dr. Armand is willing for Bruce to complete these. They will wire Bruce tomorrow to come into Wash. & if I can see him first I think the job he now has will be consolidated with ours and he will be my second man at Orlando. Bish has been opposing it to Armand, but Armand had agreed to it several days ago. The situation is that a lot of Bureau men are on the end of a limit due to curtailment & Armand is now looking for places for them. Our work will be filled by transfer within the division except for Mr. Glass & 4 juniors who come from the outside. Cushing will then consider transfers of others to fill temporary places vacated by men who are coming to our projects.
February 24, 1942
Bishopp is as pale as a ghost. I’ve never seen him looking as badly. I do not know if the merger mentioned in the enclosed clipping has anything to do with it. All divisions of the Bureau were called upon today to stream line their activities in line with war needs and this means that the Bureau of the Budget can then pick out ones to be eliminated or reduced. They seem to be going after it great shape. I believe that the Bureau part is confidential but it would be OK to let Simmons know.
My return ticket is dated the 27th & today is the 24th. I may not be able to get away by that time but I’ll come as soon as Bruce can get here and I can turn this work over to him. I would telephone him tonight but the only news I can get of his present address is the state of Texas. Mrs. Townsend has his itinerary and she had already gone when the conference was over. I could try San Antonio and Dallas, but anyway they can wire him tomorrow morning, and the orders for him to come here will have to come from the office anyway.
Lots of love,
Always
Walter.
Sunday 2/22.
My dear Ina & Boys,
I am enclosing a clipping from the Washington Post of today which is of much interest. They tried to get voluntary releases of personnel from government agencies but this failed, so now they are trying a new wrinkle. If you wanted a transfer to Wash. instead of Orlando, I imagine it would be easy because it could not be blocked in the Bureau. If it were not for Cushing I would not mind so much, because you know how I feel about the rest of them. The work at Orlando will be the most important war work in the Bureau & probably just as important as any except firing bullets.*
February 22, 1942
I kept the sedan delivery here today but I did not go out to Beltsville. It has been real cold yesterday & today and it was not especially urgent that I go over the fumigated material until tomorrow. I hope I can get away about the end of the week but cannot tell yet. I want to get the answer if I can by that time.
If you have any strong convictions about transferring, please let me know. After the war it may be difficult to get into other govt work which might mean taking the retirement. It would amount to about $150 per month at present. After about 6 yrs more or 30 yrs service would amount to about $200 per mo. I doubt if I could leave the Bureau before about 6 yrs. By that time we may be in the middle of another depression & it would be difficult to get started in something else.
With love,
Walter.
P.S. Think I’ll talk to the Public Health Service. Theirs should be permanent.
* Walter is not bragging. Louse-borne typhus was deadlier than any weapon in World War I, and all indications were that it would take a similar toll in this war. An army that could prevent and/or treat louse infestations would have an immense advantage over one that couldn’t.
Sat. PM 2/21-42
Hurray for Tommy & 96 steps.
My dear Ina & Boys,
I came in early today and parked the car near the hotel so that I can go out to Beltsville tomorrow and check our tests. We certainly hope that we can get plenty of material Monday & the early part of the week so that we can finish the present tests. So far, the chlorpicrin looks pretty good & I hope that it will continue to show promise. The Army would like to use it.
February 21, 1942
Last night I went home with BM and Claudelle. He expects to leave tonight or tomorrow for Gulfport and will spend a week or more down there with R.A. He & Claudelle are OK and are so interested in each other, that I feel it would be better if I were not there. But they don’t seem to mind my presence at all.
The living material I have been sending to Bushland seems to be getting along first rate at Orlando. He seems very enthusiastic about the work. I get an airmail letter from him every few days.
The enclosures were interesting and I have taken care of them. I gave my address as Box 491 Orlando which is the office address.
What would you think of Henry going to Orlando. Can get him raised from 80 to 100 per mo. He has his faults, but is a willing worker & may be of more help where we have a larger station. I have not said anything to anyone about it yet and may wait until I return to D.C.
With love,
Walter.
Thursday Night 2/19
My dear Ina & Boys,
One print of each of the photos is enclosed. I am having three of each printed and I plan to give Claudelle and BM one set, and a couple of prints of Tommy to the Cushings. You may want some of them enlarged, if so we can select and have them made at DC or Orlando.
February 19, 1942
The tests here are encouraging but I cannot bring them to a close just yet. With luck we should be able to complete them in another week. Perhaps I can be at home next week end. If the money becomes available for the new work I may leave this part for some one else & come back to get things started at Orlando.
I leave from the Bureau in the morning for Beltsville. Mr. Lata goes with me. I see very little of the Bureau people except a few min. in the morning and sometimes in the P.M.
Yesterday I sent you a box of Martha Washingtons. No, I do not have a guilty conscience. My behavior has been most excellent, if I do say so myself.
With love and looking forward to seeing you soon.
Walter.
Tuesday Night 2/17.
My dear Sweetheart & Boys,
Saturday noon I ate a dinner with Claudelle & BM down town, and then went home with them over Sunday. I went to the office from there Monday AM. Mr. Cushing came over Sun. night for chili but Deniza was too tired. She works at night at the War Dept. We had a quiet day and light visiting.
February 17, 1942
Monday & today Mr. Lata and I had some fumigations to keep us busy and there is enough for tomorrow too. It seems to be going OK but we cannot check results until the hatching takes place. I have been sending material to Bushland and he writes that the laboratory colonies are being established OK.
It looks as though the money on the first project will come through in a few days. A voucher was sent over and as I understand it, a check is to be returned to the Bureau. The other project is late, and it may be a month before it comes through. I think we have the personnel lined up and things are under way to transfer some assistants on short notice.
Mrs. W.V. King passed away on Sat. PM and is being buried at Shreveport, her home town. I have had no word of any kind from Dr. King.
I am enclosing a clipping that Claudelle gave me. I believe you knew Ardie Shaw at Charleston.
The valentines were appreciated very much and I want to thank all three of the boys and their mother.
With love
Walter.
Bellevue Hotel Feb. 12, 1914 (sic)
My dear Sweetheart,
By the time this reaches you it will be Valentine’s Day and I’ll have to get the candy when I come home, because I did not get it today. For the past 3 days I have had some luck in getting material. Two lots have been sent to Mr. Bushand at Orlando so that he can breed up a supply for tests. I have some other material tonight and if I get some more tomorrow I’ll send it down by Air Express tomorrow night. It arrives there about noon of the following day. For the tests I am getting some material now but it is not enough. It looks like we will have to rear it and ship it here for the fumigation tests.
February 12, 1942
I saw BM this AM and I talked to Claudelle tonight. Will try to see her in a day or so. On my return I think I’ll come to DC first and then drive to Orlando. Just how soon I cannot tell, but as soon as I can.
With love,
Walter.
You did just right about WW foot operation.
Sat. Nite 2/7-12 PM
My dear Ina & Boys,
I am enclosing a card on the meeting tonight. The slides were OK, I used the full time, had questions and was told that the talk was OK. Mr. Stage was there from my office. Cushing did not come b/c of a cold which he is still fighting. Deniza is working in the War Dept. now and I guess she is glad to work again. They moved to an apt. near BM & Claudelle, I believe the man who owns the house is a lawyer. I cannot remember his name.
February 7, 1942
As yet I have had practically no luck in getting material. As far as the fumigation tests go, I am just where I was one week ago. Hope to get some Monday PM, which will give me something to do at Beltsville on Tuesday. The District Jail is my main bet for material.
Thursday night I went to the Wash. Ent. Soc. meeting. Ewing & Snodgrass gave talks. Saw Mr. Oman who said he stopped at Uvalde, and saw Claudelle. Mr. & Mrs. Lewis. Also saw Mr. Bottimer who is working at the Museum now.
There has been no news on the money for the other projects yet but we expect it soon.
I miss you lots and will be glad to get home. Hope we can get Bruce changed so that he can help on this. Cushing intended to try Annand on it today before FC returns. This job at present is not so much.
With love,
Walter.