190 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



and Spanish portions of our territor}^ bring it about that here we have a 

 great and most interesting body of material for our history, and by reason 

 of the late date at which the Vatican archives were thrown open little system- 

 atic work in the American field has yet been done within their walls. The 

 attempt on our part to explore the Roman collections thoroughly can not be 

 at once begun. The problem is so important and so complex as to demand 

 for itself a special report. But it has a high place in our list of agenda. 



Next in importance come the archives of Germany, including the German 

 parts of Austria and Switzerland. Here we have to deal not only with the 

 central archives, rich in documents for diplomatic and other public history, 

 but, because of the peculiar importance of German emigration to America, 

 with many local, university, and private archives and libraries, abounding in 

 the materials which illustrate that remarkable and momentous movement. 

 At later periods we may look forward to dealing with the archives of the 

 Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, and Scandinavia, and with those of Central 

 and South America. It may be mentioned that, apart from an order of coun- 

 tries dictated by American considerations, our general course of procedure 

 with respect to foreign archives is closely similar to that pursued by the most 

 sagacious of the European historical agencies. 



There is, however, one peculiar aspect of our plans of procedure that 

 should be briefly commented upon. Of the American States, there are at 

 least twenty-six whose territory was once, in whole or in part, in greater or 

 less degree of completeness, under the civil control of France and the eccle- 

 siastical governance of Rome ; some twenty-two under the rule of Spain. In 

 many of these, especially in the Mississippi Valley, there are active historical 

 societies or State departments of history, of which several are upon the point 

 of undertaking extensive projects of transcription and publication of material 

 from European archives illustrating their respective histories. But it is 

 apparent that all this enthusiastic effort might lead to much wasteful dupli- 

 cation if cooperation were not carefully provided for. While the spirit of 

 cooperation exists in abundant measure in these institutions, it is not too 

 much to say that its course can be made much more effective and complete 

 through the work of this department. The clearing-house, we may say, was 

 instituted just in time. For example, our proposed guides to the American 

 material in the Spanish, French, and Roman archives will be, it may fairly 

 be said, invaluable to these organizations at the present juncture, relieving 

 them of much preliminary labor which one agency can do for all, and pro- 

 moting cooperation by laying before them a detailed and scientific map of 

 the territory in which they are to find their respective fields of work. In 

 many other ways it is possible for this department, while perfectly avoiding 

 "entangling alliances," to further mutual understanding and mutual help 

 among these organizations. In view of their ardor and of the increasing 

 resources which they are plainly destined to command, I do not know 



