18 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



an engraver aucl electrotype copies are furnished at very small cost, 

 the expense being met by the aj)plicant. 



Special Smithsonian correspondent in Paris. — M. 0. Eeinwald & Co., 

 15 rue des Saiats-Peres, Paris, were designated, on June 6, 1893, as 

 special correspondents of the Smithsonian Institutiou, through whom 

 commissions can be conveniently attended to. I should add that no 

 compensation is attached to this agency. 



Russian Physico- Chemical Society. — I deem it not inappropriate 

 to give the following letter received June 29, 1893, from the Eussian 

 Physico-Chemical Society : 



St. Petersburg, 3Iay 31, 1892. 

 Russian Phyisco- Chemical Society University to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution at SVashington : 



The universal science reposes on t)ie brotherhood of nations. The 

 United States of America in sending bread to the Russian people in 

 time of scarcity and need gave the most affecting instance of brotherly 

 feeling. The Eussian chemists who devote themselves to the service of 

 universal science, at their meeting of the 7/19 of May decided to ask 

 their brethren of the Smithsonian Institute, to transmit the expression 

 of their sincere thanks to all persons or institutions who contributed 

 to the fulfillment of this brotherly aid. 



President D. Mendeleeff. 

 Secretary D. Konowalow. 



A copy of this letter was communicated to the chairman of the Eus- 

 sian Famine Eelief Committee and to the public ])ress. 



Correspondence. — Minor changes have been made in the methods of 

 handling correspondence, with a view to disposing of all letters with 

 the greatest dispatch compatible with the character of the work, and 

 the number of clerks that can be assigned to such duties. During the 

 preceding year a plan was adopted of separating the files in the Secre- 

 tary's office according to the different branches of the work, inde- 

 pendent files being assigned to the Secretary's correspondence con- 

 cerning the Smithsonian routine proper, the observatory, the museum, 

 the park, etc.; and with each tile, separate press-copy books. The 

 files have been designated as follows : 



1. Smithsonian proper. 



2. The National Museum. 



4. The Bureau of Ethnology. 



5. The Zoological Park. 



6. The Astro-physical Observatory. 

 11. Assistant in charge. 



20. Aerodynamics. 



25. Hodgkins fund. 

 A card index was begun on January 1, 1893, for both letters received 

 and letters written, to facilitate reference to the various files, and this 

 index will be extended back to all letters since January 1, 1892, as 

 opportunity offers. 



