In connection with the establishment of agricultural communities for the returning soldiers, which will come up very actively as soon as Congress meets, Mr. H. T. Cory is urging Mr. G. Herbert Smith to have a meeting of the committee whom you appointed to represent North Carolina in order to approve of certain recommendations or reports which he is making to Congress in reference to Eastern North Carolina.

Mr. Smith tells me that on yesterday he received a telegram from Mr. J. R. Page of Aberdeen saying that he had not been appointed on the committee. He received a very nice letter from Mr. Geo. T. Leach of Washington, N.C., expressing his active interest and saying that he would cooperate heartily.

Mr. Smith would appreciate it very much if you would communicate with Mr. Page at once, if in your opinion he is still the best man to be appointed on the committee.

Recently I saw Mr. Cory in Washington, and it is clearly the intention of the Department of the Interior to locate the first community somewhere along the coastal plain. It might, therefore, not be convenient to Mr. Page, nor of interest to him, to serve on the committee, and  my impression is that he would not be posted about the qualifications of coastal lands; in fact might be prejudiced against them. If for any reason he should not serve on the committee, I would again recommend Mr. L. A. Bethune of Clinton, or Mr. Henry J. Faison as being excellent men and who are intimately acquainted with coastal plain conditions.