110 REPORT ON EXCHANGES. 



representing at present a bulk of twenty-three boxes of abont 6i cubic 

 feet each, with a total weight of abont 5,500 pounds. 



These works, the titles of which are specitied in the accompanying 

 documents, have been oHered in one copy, for deposit in one general 

 library, as a complete set of the United States publications as ordered 

 ])rinted by Congress, and an equally exhausiive return has been asked 

 for from the Im])crial Government. 



While now the chiefs of the various departments approve of the estab- 

 lishment of exchange relations, there is a tendency among them to dis- 

 card a centralization of tlie works, and rather express a desire of each 

 selecting from the books thus offered such as may be of interest and 

 value to their respective departments, and in exchange for such they 

 are willing to make equivalent returns. 



While now, on the ])art of the United States Government, no special 

 objection could be had to such a distribution of their documents, such 

 course would have a tendency of complicating matters, and require of 

 some works a number of copies to sui>i)ly the demands made for them 

 b3' various departments all equally interested in the acquisition of any 

 particular work, while the Smithsonian Institution as ageutof the Gov- 

 ernment, can, under the law, only ofier one single cop3\ 



Furthermore, there has been in existence for a number of years an 

 independent exchange between corresponding departments and bureaus 

 of the two nations, and many documents have been received by them 

 and thereby' render a division of the documents to be received under 

 the proi)osed exchange unnecessary; neither has the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, as the agent of the Government, the power of discriminating 

 which of the books to send, but is compelled to furnish one copy of 

 every document received to any of the contracting powers. 



From these considerations the Smithsonian Institution could not pos- 

 sibly consent to the proposition made by the chiefs of the respective de- 

 partments, to select from the list of works such as may be of interest to 

 the department, but we would have to send one complete collection to 

 the foreign ottice, or any place of deposit designated by the Imperial 

 Government for the reception of the publications, to be distributed as 

 may be deemed most advantageous by the Imperial Government. 



All this was stated by Mr. lioehmer in his conferences with M. de 

 Plason, and the suggestion made by him that the individual exchange 

 now existing between the corresponding bureaus be continued uninter- 

 ruptedly, while the foreign office charge itself with the collecting, from 

 the various bureaus of ihe Imperial Government, of one copy each of 

 their respective publications in direct response to the system of ex- 

 changes to be inaugurated between the Governments. 



In acceptance by the Imperial Government of a former proposition of 

 the United States Government, the first two boxes of books had alrea<ly 

 been sent to Vienna in 1875, where they were deposited in tbe Imperial 

 library, but further sendings were declined by the librarian as toobulki/ 

 (Old incomplete. Tlie hnllc of valuable books should be a rather favora- 

 ble consideration for a librarian, while com])leteness can not be expected 

 in the contents of two boxes of ofticial publications from various delays 

 which may occur during the process of issue. 



Another point of disagreement in the establishment of the proposed 

 exchange relation is found in tlie transmission of exchange boxes, 

 '• there being no fun(fs available in the Imperial foreign office for such 

 exi)enditure." 



The (aistom of the Smithsonian Institution iu its intercourse with for- 

 eign nations has been for each to prepay their sendings to the nearest 



