REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT, I9II. 21 



The diversified work of this department has proceeded during the year in 



accordance with the plan approved by the Executive Committee in May, 19 lo, 



j^ which contemplated completing the researches then under 



Economics way as well as might prove practicable under the limita- 



and Sociology. tions of the balance of appropriations previously made to 

 the department. A full statement of these appropriations, of the expendi- 

 tures under them to date, and of the present available balance, will be found 

 in the section of this report devoted to the proposed budget for the ensuing 

 year. 



As explained at length by the Chairman of the department in his report, 

 to be found in the current Year Book, progress in the work under way is 

 necessarily slow, since the heads of the divisions of research and most of 

 their collaborators are primarily engaged in other occupations. But in spite 

 of this handicap, inherent in the organization, much work has been accom- 

 plished, and the Chairman reports that several of the heads of divisions are 

 now engaged on their final reports. 



The eighth annual report of this department, and the sixth of the present 



Director, is an instructive record of effective progress along all lines of work 



thus far undertaken to discover and to render available the 



Department of sourccs of American history. Members of the department 



Historical Research. ^ •' . ^ _ 



have been engaged during the year searching the archives 

 of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Mexico, as well as those of the United 

 States, for all accessible data, and these are being rapidly put in form for 

 publication in convenient manuals. Three such works have been published 

 by the Institution during the past year, namely, "Guide to the Materials for 

 American History in Roman and other Italian Archives"; "Inventory of 

 Unpublished Material for x\merican Religious History in Protestant Church 

 Archives and other Repositories" ; and "Calendar of Papers in Washington 

 Archives relating to the Territories of the United States." The following 

 are now in press : "Guide to the Manuscript Material relating to American 

 History in the German State Archives" and "Guide to Materials for the His- 

 tory of the United States in the Principal Archives of Mexico." 



It is worthy of remark that the results of this department's activities have 

 received very general commendation from professional historians in Europe 

 as well as in America. The ten manuals thus far issued are already much 

 in demand in foreign countries, and they seem destined to become as impor- 

 tant in aggregate usefulness abroad as at home. It is hoped that the Institu- 

 tion may be thus enabled to render adequate acknowledgment for numerous 

 courtesies extended to the department by officials of governments, archives, 

 libraries, and other establishments. 



