180 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



secure a copy of it. It is often possible for the Department to answer 

 such questions off-hand, out of the knowledge of various archives which 

 individual members of its staff have acquired. In other cases, it is the 

 practice of the Department to pursue such inquiries freely for all 

 institutions or scholars whose objects have any historical importance, 

 unless the inquiry proves to take more time than can be afforded with- 

 out detriment to the regular occupations of the members of the staff. 

 In these cases of more extensive inquiry, and in respect to requests for 

 copying, it is the custom of the Department to place all such orders 

 in the hands of persons professionally occupied with such work, and 

 to whose competence the Director can certify. 



PLANS FOR 1916. 



REPORTS, AIDS. AND GUIDES. 



The first work of the Department for the year beginning November 1, 

 1915, under this head, should be the issue of Mr. Faust's Guide to the 

 Materials for American History in Swiss and Austrian Archives, of 

 Mr. G older' s report on similar materials in the archives of Russia, and 

 of Mr. Hill's Descriptive Catalogue of the Papers concerning United 

 States History in the "Papeles de Cuba" of the Archives of the Indies. 

 Upon the completion of prints from the series of photographic negatives 

 made in that archive, and the reception of the final installments of 

 them, the whole mass will be arranged in sets, with appropriate lists 

 and explanations, and offered for sale at cost, to institutions which 

 have manifested an interest in the series, and to others. 



Mr. Leland's main work will consist in doing all that can be done, 

 before the end of the European war makes possible his final expedition 

 to Paris, to reduce the notes already taken into as close an approach 

 as is possible to their final form as a report adapted to publication. 



It is not expedient to undertake any large piece of work in European 

 archives till after the close of the war. In the belligerent countries, 

 satisfactory work of this sort is in most cases impossible. Even in the 

 neutral countries of Europe, conditions are such that later times will 

 surely be better for our purposes. Archive staffs are disorganized or 

 are working under unusual disadvantages. Important as is the place 

 which the furnishing of guidance to American materials in European 

 archives has held and still holds in the Department's scheme of opera- 

 tions, it so happens that the most pressing tasks in the first division of 

 that scheme, the making of general surveys, has been completed in all 

 the most urgent instances except that of Paris. It is possible to make 

 a pause without great damage, and to resume the work when it can 

 be taken up under more favorable auspices. In the meantime, it would 

 be possible, whenever suitable appropriations for the purpose could 

 properly be made, to continue work of this same variety in a region not 



