EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY 5 



beings. I feel that to march resolutely into these fields of investiga- 

 tion, which involve not only physics but chemistry, mathematics, 

 meteorology, and astronomy, is a policy dictated to the Smithsonian 

 not only by its possession of these assets of experience and apparatus 

 but by the traditions of its early history, by the interests of its 

 founder, James Smithson, who was a research chemist, and by a 

 proper appreciation of the salutary influence which such a rounding 

 out of the scope of Smithsonian researches would exercise on studies 

 in the other lines associated with the national collections. 



Thus I am led to feel that the care of the public exhibits, educa- 

 tional and interesting though they are, after all is not the greatest 

 duty of the Smithsonian Institution. I see in the collection of new 

 specimens wliich the passage of a few more years might prevent for- 

 ever ; in the study of existing national collections to unlock the treas- 

 ures of knowledge which they certainly contain ; in the promotion of 

 researches growing out of our expert experience in the field of radia- 

 tion ; in the publication of knowledge in both technical and popular 

 forms ; and in the wide difi'usion of knowledge through exchanges and 

 correspondence in all these lines, activities entirely suited to the 

 genius and situation of the Smithsonian, which in their world-wide 

 application and future promise, outrank in value the more local in- 

 fluence of the public exhibitions. 



Only one thing is lacking to promote these researches. We have 

 the foundation equipment, we have the trained experts, but we lack 

 adequate means. The Government appropriations are mainly de- 

 voted, according to the terms of law, to expenditures incident to the 

 preservation of collections. But a small proportion of these annual 

 congressional appropriations is available to be expended on collect- 

 ing specimens or on researches. An exception occurs, it is true, in 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Astrophysical Observa- 

 tory, where research is supported by Government. For research in 

 far eastern lands, the Freer bequest is available, but, agreeable to the 

 donor's wishes,' only in a restricted sense. Also the Roebling and 

 Canfield foundations have made possible a certain amount of collect- 

 ing in the field of mineralogy. 



Aside from these and certain other lesser financial resources for 

 specified purposes, there remains the annual income of the Smith- 

 sonian endowment, which at present yields about $65,000 annually, 

 and such temporary grants for special researches as interested 

 friends from time to time place in the hands of the Institution. 

 Secretaries Henry, Baird, Langley, and Walcott all deplored the 

 disparity between Smithsonian endowment and Smithsonian oppor- 

 tunity, but until recently the outlook for increased support has been 

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