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Show £~* mi* t i*r I f« Baltimore, 27th June, 1950 Dear ^riend, I am delighted to learn the good news from your letter of the 2Gtte June, received yesterday. This morning Verner Clapp called me up and we discussed your respective letters. He will intervene as strongly as possible with Gordon Bowles on behalf of a Smith-Mundt grant. I hope it works outl I don't know whether I reported in my last previous letter to you (I am now writing at home, without my files) that Hitti is enthusiastic about the new of your availability, ana says that Princeton will be glad to arrange for a lecture or a series of lectures, depending on the circumstances. They are expecting Ta ha Husein, but now it appears that he will not be here before spring> Clapp is writing you urging that you try to get the palimpsest on temporary loan to the Library of Congress for photographing with the latest ultra-violet and infra-red techniques. Only by use of these latest techniaues can the different layers of writing be brought out. We are both of the impression that you are the one man who can persuaae the Patriarchal authorities to.permit this. Since the importance of trie MS was not dreamed of before, there should not be as much difficulty as before. I am pretty sure that the Library,, in return, would be glad to send them nhotoe of the different palimpsests for use and exhioition. Incidentally, I have little doubt that the Library would want to exhibit Codex Arabicus and accompany tlie exhibition by a lecture from yourself. It "went to town" on the Dead Sea Scrolls? I lectured at that tinv I am extremely happy that the final days of the microfilming campaign are marked, by a happy relationship and especially by such an astounding discovery. 1 am sure that Chapman can go to town on this. Naturally-! will say nothing about it in any circles with journalistic contacts. 1 am growinp- better every day, and show no ill effect from my trouble in South Arabia. As I wrote you before, I expect to remain at home all summer except for the last few days of July and the first wee* or ten days of August. With my best regards to Mine. Atiya, I am, Cordially, |