Earth 9, 1958

Dear Fred,

I came upon the followi.nFr interesting note in Gee. Gray's Confidential
ReJ:ort to the Trustees for Karch l;l!6 (poll):

"i&. John il. Ferrell of the IHI) staff first suggested the
method of delousing by blowing insecticides into the
clothing r-rithodt disrobing, and this technique was worked
out by the members of the staff in North i4frica1f

Old JAF suffered from so much undeserved obloquy when he was eased
out of the IJD into premature retirement that I would hate to rob
him of any real deserts.  !-hat is the story on this?

Thanks for your letter.  I am in fine fettle just now and, following
doctors' advice, have tilt down on animal fats and increased the
consumption of liquor.

Varm regards to you both from

. . . . .

Lewis
(Dr.:,. 'CT. llaukett
767 Hillcrest Road
3erkeley, California)

!1ear Lewis :

Piarch 19th

This is being answered during a budget session of the PA~B/'XO staff.

To the facts, as I remember them:  In October or November 1942, shortly
after I had been assigned to the problem of war and psst war Typhus,
a discussion occurred of my future activities in a group of which JA~P' was
a member.

At: that time L)ro Sawyer had specifically indicated that I should be
working in Iran.  In a jocular mood, Jhl! spoke up and said he could just
see Soper in the Eoslem harems running a tube into the loose and flowing
garments of the bodies of the harem and blowing louse powder freely thereir
This comment really had no immediate result and it xas only when we found
in August 1943 that the rab women of Algeria would not take off their
clothing, that we tested the pumping of the powder.  I believe I was re-
sponsible for remembering the remarks of JU when I later reported on this
work.

?:ith best wishes from Juliet and

7red L. Soper

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