24 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



Conference on the International Catalogue of Scientific Liter- 

 ature, held in London June 12 and 13, 1900. It was learned 

 afterwards that Mr. Putnam, the Librarian of Congress, who 

 happened to be present in London, had private conferences 

 with some of the representatives, and greatly aided them in 

 reaching a conclusion. It was decided at that time to proceed 

 with the catalogue if 300 subscriptions, at &N5 per annum, for 

 a period of five years, could be obtained, and the quota for 

 the United States was fixed at 15 sets. It being necessary to 

 secure these before the end of September, 1900, the Secretary, 

 as an evidence of the Institution's good will, sent out a cir- 

 cular letter commending the project to American institutions 

 of learning. By the end of September the above number had 

 been secured, thus assuring the publication of the work in 

 England, and this number has since been increased to the 

 equivalent of over 66 sets, at %*o apiece, for five years, rep- 

 resenting a sum of about $30,000, the largest subscription 

 made to the catalogue by any single country, a fact which 

 abundantly demonstrates the interest felt in the catalogue on 

 the part of scientific men in the United States. 



It is greatly to be regretted that no adequate provision has 

 been made for the cataloguing of the scientific literature of 

 the United States, which is to form a part of it. The Secre- 

 tary has provisionally undertaken to do this work out of the 

 private funds of the Institution, in what is feared will be an 

 inadequate way, since only two assistants can be allotted for 

 the purpose, and the Secretary has felt able to retain these 

 only to June 30, 1902. It has indeed been quite clear from the 

 outset that this work could not be made a perpetual charge 

 upon the small Smithsonian fund; but with a full recognition 

 of the importance of this project, the Secretary is still not 

 willing to have the Institution itself solicit aid from Congress 

 for it, Avhile other interests already committed to the Institu- 

 tion are so inadequately provided for and demand its first care. 



There is yet hope that some way may be found by which this 

 country may take its proper share in the community of nations. 

 In this great undertaking, which is now being carried on by 

 England, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, and Austria, the 

 Institution, which is not soliciting for itself any Congressional 

 aid, will be glad to see Congress place the work in any effect- 

 ive hands, or, if the Institution itself be designated, it will 

 do its part if Congress shall so direct and provide the means. 



