102.64/100
The Secretary of the Interior (Ickes) to the Secretary of State
Sir: Mr. K. S. Twitchell, acting informally on behalf of the King of Saudi Arabia, has recently studied various operations upon Indian reservations and reclamation projects in our Southwestern States, and has made note of various agricultural and engineering techniques which have been developed by the bureaus of this Department, and which he believes to be very applicable to the needs of Arabia. The particular questions which he was asked by the King of Arabia to inquire into seem, in fact, to call for the presence of technical men upon the ground in Arabia. It occurs to me that it might be helpful, even important, especially at the present time, if the United States should send an Agricultural Mission to Arabia. Commissioner Page, of the Bureau of Reclamation, and Commissioner Collier, of the Office of Indian Affairs, would, if you consider that such an undertaking would be helpful, be glad to discuss the subject with your staff.39
Very truly yours,
- In his reply of May 29, the Secretary of State said that the Department of State would avail itself of the offer to pursue the discussions on the subject with officers of the Department of the Interior.↩