DEPARTMENT OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH.* 



J. Franklin Jameson, Director. 



The following report, the thirteenth annual report rendered by the 

 present Director, covers the period from November 1, 1917, to October 

 31, 1918. A year of war is necessarily abnormal. For such a depart- 

 ment to attempt to continue its usual activities unchanged, envelop- 

 ing itself in ''the still air of delightful studies" and ignoring the tragic 

 struggles of the world without, would be both pedantic and disloyal, 

 and would show a pitiful inability to appreciate the higher duties 

 which such an institution owes to its country. From the entrance 

 of the United States into the war, the Department has wished always 

 to perform any services it could render to Government or Nation. 

 But it was clear from the outset, to anyone knowing the composition 

 and character of the historical profession in the United States, that 

 such ser\'ices could be far better performed through an organization 

 resting on a broad basis of general cooperation than through any 

 plans or efforts made by our Department attempting to work alone. 

 Therefore the Department welcomed and assisted the formation of 

 the National Board for Historical Service in May 1917, and has been 

 entirely content that all its labors since then, in the way of attempting 

 to help the Government or the pubhc in war time, should be mingled 

 indistinguishably with those of the Board. That organization has 

 engaged in a wide variety of useful war services. The time has not 

 yet come, nor is this the place, for describing these services with ful- 

 ness, but allusion is made to the acti^dties of the Board in order that 

 readers of this report, to whom the Department's record of achieve- 

 ment for the past year may seem a shght one, may bear in mind that 

 much of its labor has been expended through channels not here 

 described. Two members of the staff, for instance, have been almost 

 wholly engrossed throughout the year in the work of the Board, Mr. 

 Leland as its secretary, Mr. Stock as assistant secretary, and have 

 had almost no time to apply to their customary lines of work. The 

 Director has since December been a member of the executive com- 

 mittee of the Board; Dr. PauUin has given it much help in matters 

 of historical geography; and other members of the staff have spent 

 in its ser\ace considerable portions of their time. 



Miss Catharine Bowes, who for twelve years had served the 

 Department as a singularly accurate copyist, resigned in June to enter 

 the overseas service of the American Red Cross. Mr. Irvin H. Camp- 

 bell, who for nearly four years had given most acceptable service as 

 stenographer, also resigned in June. Miss Donnan had leave of 

 absence for the second semester of the academic year 1917-1918, to act 



*Address, No. 1140 Woodward Building, Washington, D. C. 



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