9e adqvarke rs  Region III, .XIIG.

                   December 24, 194.3.
                                                    \

;Ty Dear C1-iayne ,

      Things are a zood deal Tzorse -l&an I described
to you in :~y letter yesterdsy.  I find now t11a-t General
Fox has told General Pence that he is going to be
tyjh&
J,   king here and that in his temporary abse'nce in
Algiers am!-Cairo-e's ,zone today) Soper is to act in
this capacity in his stead.

     Keedless to say I should resent the manner in
which this has Leen done and I dispute his authority
to aI:poMt of his own accord EL l:lan who has been
definitely assigned by AF11;?, to work llere with legion III
under my direction.

     Soper presented his report on recvire;aects
yesterday evening bt:t told ze that this could only be
*'of acadeltiic interest" because  ltsozelt action on it had
already been -&ken by General Ience at T.3.S. I tllere-
fore felt paralized because I didn't knov: exc^ictly what
action vas befl:g teAen by 3.7.S. and where I cme in.

     I exponed the whole sitvation to IJme and
Eraege and T&me ail-d I went to see General Pence ar-d
got very litt;e change out of him.  I begsed that at
least I should be infozaed of the degree and character
of the assistance which P.3.S. are giving Soper so as
to avoid duplication of work but his attitude ceneraliy

was  that he was only dealing wit? Soper, that General
Fox had a?xointed Soper and implied t&t for all he
cared I need not exist.  Be just mill not deal with
DIG.


-e-

   I am both Si.sa;.pointed axd distressed at this
turn of events.

Yours in haste,
(Siglied) :  Tf.K. Crickton.