REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 6 



4. The Smithsonian has thousands of published and unpublished 

 photographs taken by its scientists in all parts of the world, includ- 

 ing many out-of-the-way places not commonly photographed. An 

 index is being compiled of the published material, and members of 

 the staff have put their photographic files in shape for ready con- 

 sultation by war agencies. Many of its photographs have already 

 been so consulted. 



5. In the very important field of Latin American cooperation, the 

 Institution has undertaken two large-scale scientific projects. One 

 is a Handbook of the Indians of South America, under the editorship 

 of Dr. Julian H. Steward, of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 

 The various articles will be contributed by both Latin American and 

 North American anthropologists. This will be published under the 

 auspices of the Institution. The other is a list of the insects of 

 South and Central America, a much-needed tool for all future en- 

 tomological work in those areas. The completed list, which is esti- 

 mated to make more than a thousand pages of print, will also appear 

 as a Smithsonian publication. 



6. Approximately 10 percent of the scientific staff are engaged in 

 full-time war projects assigned to them by the Army, Navy, or 

 other war agencies. This work is being done either at the Institution 

 or through transfer of personnel to the agency requesting the work. 

 All the rest of the staff members devote a portion of their time to 

 work related directly or indirectly to the war, the actual amount of 

 time depending on the extent to which their special knowledge is 

 needed by war agencies. 



7. In the line of its normal function of diffusion of knowledge, the 

 Institution has initiated several wartime projects. A new series of 

 j)amphlets entitled "War Background Studies" and a series of news 

 releases headed "War Background Data" have as their purpose the 

 increasing of popular understanding of the various regions and peo- 

 ples involved in the world conflict. In the Smithsonian's radio pro- 

 gram, "The World Is Yours," four broadcasts were given on a Nation- 

 wide network comprising a series on the peoples of the United Na- 

 tions. Several special war exhibits were shown in the Smithsonian 

 and Museum buildings and others are definitely planned. A series 

 of special lectures on war topics has been arranged, and at the close 

 of the fiscal year its beginning awaited only the iustnllation of new 

 projection equipment in the Museum auditorium. A set of six post- 

 cards illustrating Museum exhibits was printed for free distribution 

 to service men; in conjunction with these, writing counters and a mail 

 box were installed at the entrance to the Arts and Industries Build- 

 ing where men in uniform write and mail the cards. Thousands of 

 sets had been given out at the close of the year, and this service 



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