22 Report of thIe secretary, 



INTERNATIONAL AMERICAN ARCH^OLOGIC^AL COMMISSION. 



At the Second International Conference of the American Republics, 

 held in the Cit}^ of Mexico on January 29, 1902, a resolution was 

 adopted recommending that an — 



"International American Archaeological Commission be formed through 

 the appointment by the President of each of the American RepuVjlics 

 of one or more members of such commission; * * * that the Urst 

 meeting for the organization of the commission, the election of officers, 

 and adoption of rules shall occur in the city of Washington * * * 

 within two 3^ears from this date; that the commission shall have power 

 to appoint subcommissions, which shall be charged specially with the 

 explorations or other work committed to its care; that subcommissions 

 may l)e appointed which shall cause the cleaning and preservation of 

 the ruins of the principal prehistoric cities, establishing at each of them 

 a museum to contain objects of interest found in the locality, and, at 

 such exhumed cities, to establish conveniences for the visiting public; 

 that the connnission endeavor to establish an American International 

 Museum which is to become the center of all the investigations and inter- 

 pretations, and that it be established in the city selected by the majority 

 of the Republics acquiescing in this recommendation." * * * 



The attention of the Smithsonian Institution was called to this pro- 

 posed commission through a letter from the secretary of the confer- 

 ence, dated May 26, 1902, asking for suggestions as to the best 

 methods to be pursued to bring about the early establishment of the 

 commission and its eflPectiva organization. 



A preliminary meeting of representatives appointed b}^ some of the 

 Republics to consider the proposed commission was held at the 

 Department of State on April 15, 1903, and adjourned to the third 

 Monday of December. 



On May 15, 1903, the Secretary of State submitted to me for con- 

 sideration, and an expression of views thereon, a proposed plan of 

 organization of the connnission. 



On December 21, 1903, a meeting of the diplomatic representatives 

 of the American Republics was held at the Department of State in the 

 interest of the organization of the International Archaeological Com- 

 mission, when representatives of the Smithsonian Institution were 

 invited to state to those present the position of the Institution in 

 regard to the Avork of the proposed connnission, and to subnut such 

 views in writing, to he printed in the proceedings of the meeting, for 

 the information of the several Republics, and adjouriunent was had 

 until the third Monday in December, 1904. 



On February 16, 1904:, in response to a recjuest from the Secretary 

 of State, the following letter was submitted: 



Smithsonian Institution, 

 WasJiington, V. S. A., Februari/ 16, 1904. 



Sir: In reply to the connuunication of the Department of the 8th instant, request- 

 ing the presentation of "the formal views and constructive criticisms of the Smith- 



