SECRETARY'S REPORT 6 



exhibits, construction of urgently needed new buildings, and purchase 

 of modern instruments and equipment for its laboratories. The de- 

 mands made upon our buildings, as has been pointed out in previous 

 reports, are little short of incredible: the annual number of visitors 

 is rapidly approaching the 3,000,000 mark, and the increase of the 

 collections in the fields of natural history, industry, history, and 

 aeronautics has long since crowded all available storage space. It 

 should be emphasized that the Institution has no desire to expand its 

 activities inordinately or to add functions unjustified by normal de- 

 mands. At the same time the public expects certain services from the 

 Federal Government, through the Smithsonian, in maintaining the 

 priceless collections in the National Museum and in the art galleries 

 under the Institution's care and in making them available for exhibit 

 and study. These are services that have long been entrusted to the 

 Smithsonian; they fall in that category of activities aimed at the 

 cultural and scientific advancement of all the people, and hence their 

 support by Federal appropriations of funds is proper and justifiable. 

 Smithsonian administrators, therefore, are duty bound to do every- 

 thing in their power to obtain adequate support for the irreplaceable 

 treasures in their custody, even in times of national emergency. 



In the pages that follow the director of each of the bureaus under 

 Smithsonian direction presents his detailed report for the year (Ap- 

 pendices 1-10) . Included also are the reports of the Librarian and 

 the Chief of the Editorial Division (Appendices 11 and 12). 



THE ESTABLISHMENT 



The Smithsonian Institution was created by act of Congress in 

 1846, in accordance with the terms of the will of James Smithson, 

 of England, who in 1826 bequeathed his property to the United States 

 of America "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge among men." In receiving the property and accepting 

 the trust. Congress determined that the Federal Government was 

 without authority to administer the trust directly, and, therefore, 

 constituted an "establishment" whose statutory members are "the 

 President, the Vice President, the Chief Justice, and the heads of 

 the executive departments." 



THE BOARD OF REGENTS 



There were no changes in the personnel of the Board of Regents 

 during the year. One vacancy still exists in the class of citizen re- 

 gents. The roll of regents at the close of the fiscal year, June 30, 



