50

June 11, 1953

Memorandum for Dr. Merriam:

Upon suggestion of Dr. Bartsch[underlined] I had lunch with
him today and he tells me of his interesting visit to
Porto Rico, from which he returned a few days ago after
having obtained information he sought. He had ex-
pected to sail again early this month on theNavy trans-
port Henderson, but this boat has been commissioned for
the President's use and Dr. Bartsch has been compelled to
make other plans. At present he hopes to leave Hampton
Roads on an Army transport on August ninth in order to
visit San Salvador in the expectation that the Navy trans-
port KITTRICK, which leaves here on August 22, will pick
him up and carry him to Guantanamo, whence he expects to
proceed to Key West in the hope Mills may be able to
meet him and give him two or three days at Tortugas.
Bartsch would like to arrange his trip, if possible in
other ways, so as to be at Tortugas when the Laboratory
closes in order that he may accompany Mills and Longley,
assuming that the latter will still be there, to Miami.
This willgive him opportunity to make collection of about
100 cerion specimens off the coast of Florida in the ex-
pectation that these specimens will be used in study of
shell anatomy and development. I am writing to Mills to
see what plans he has for the summer and for suggestions