244 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



one of the most important tasks to be undertaken was that of the 

 magnetic survey of the oceans, and that this was a project which 

 would not Ukely be carried out in the near future unless an institution 

 with ample funds would foster it. 



In the citation given above it was stated that "at first, principal 

 stress will be laid upon the complete reduction, discussion, and correla- 

 tion of existing observational data." It was quickly found that rather 

 than attempt to refer existing observations, the precise reliability of 

 which could not always be gaged without very considerable labor, 

 to a common date on the basis of more or less uncertain secular-varia- 

 tion data, it would be far more expeditious and certainly much more 

 satisfactory in the end, to secure entirely new observations by uniform 

 methods, with carefully controlled instruments, and extending over a 

 period of about 10 to 15 years. The existing data not infrequently 

 dated back in certain regions 50 years or more. Furthermore, when 

 Adolf Schmidt, of Potsdam, began his series of pubUcations, in which 

 results of past observatory observations were being collected and 

 reduced to some common basis, there was no need of similar work by 

 the Department. Thus it happened that a new magnetic survey of 

 the globe with the cooperation of existing organizations was under- 

 taken sooner than originally contemplated. This task, in general, 

 has been accomplished within the period set. In some regions certain 

 details are lacking, and some countries, owing to the war, will find 

 it difficult to supply the results of their recent work. Nevertheless 

 sufficient has been accomplished by this time to make it worth while 

 to construct new magnetic charts and to take up the investigation of 

 certain fundamental problems respecting the actual constitution of the 

 Earth's magnetic field. Such a question, for example, as that of the 

 existence or non-existence of vertical earth-currents passing through 

 the Earth's crust may be possible of definite solution dependent upon 

 data acquired, on sea and land, solely by the Department. 



No complaint of any kind has ever been received by the Institution, 

 or the Department, respecting the policy followed in the conduct of 

 the land magnetic-survey work. In no country has ever any work 

 been undertaken by the Department without previous consultation 

 with the interested authorities and individuals, or without ascertaining 

 the likelihood of its being undertaken in the near future by the respec- 

 tive countries. In fact, to our observers have invariably been assigned 

 the most difficult tasks. There have been some cases in which we have 

 been the direct means of securing for an individual desirous of making 

 a magnetic survey of his country, the necessary funds and support 

 from his government. In one particular case it was necessary to have 

 our observers start the survey of a certain country in order that the 

 governmental authorities might be sufficiently convinced of the 

 importance of such work. When official funds were provided, our 

 observers were withdrawn. 



