EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 55 



As a result of correspondence between the Smitlisouian Institution and tlie 

 diplomatic envoys from the Republic of Liberia, regarding the establishment of 

 a bureau of international exchanges in that country and the interchange of offi- 

 cial documents between the Government of Liberia and the United States, the 

 department of state at Monrovia has been designated to act as the exchange 

 intermediary between the two countries, and the proposition to exchange official 

 publications has been accepted by the envoys. A partial set of United States 

 Government documents is being made up by the Library of Congress, and will be 

 forwai-ded to Liberia as soon as received at the Institution. 



Negotiations conducted through diplomatic channels have enabled the United 

 States to enter into arrangements with the Government of Montenegro to ex- 

 change official documents, and the first sending of a partial set was made to that 

 country during September, 1907. The documents are deposited in the ministere 

 princier des affaires etrangeres de Montenegro, Cetinje. 



A service of international exchanges having been established under the direc- 

 tion of the Biblioteca Nacional at Santiago, Chile, the Chilean exchange agency 

 has recently been transferred from the Universidad de Chile to that library. 

 The Institution desires to record its grateful acknowledgment of the services 

 rendered by the university during the past twelve years in the distribution of 

 packages in Chile. 



At the request of the Museo Nacional at San Salvador, consignments for dis- 

 tribution in that country will henceforth be sent in care of the ministerio de 

 fomento at San Salvador. 



The Institution has not yet been successful in prevailing upon an establish- 

 ment in Korea to act as the exchauge medium between that country and the 

 United States. Transmissions to Korea, which were interrupted during the late 

 Russo-Japanese war, have therefore not been resumed. 



Through the wrecking of the steamship Newark Castlb oif the coast of south- 

 east Africa, the Institution suffered the loss of several packages of exchanges 

 destined for correspondents in Mauritius. So far as reported to this office, this 

 is the only instance during the past year in which packages were lost while in 

 transit. I am pleased to say that upon presenting the facts to the senders, dupli- 

 cate copies of all the lost publications were furnished for transmission to Mauri- 

 tius. 



In continuation of the work inaugurated a few years ago, further steps have 

 been taken to reduce to a minimum the danger in case of fire in the rooms 

 occupied by the bureau. As a part of the plan of the Institution to divide the 

 basement of the building into several fireproof sections, metal doors wei-e placed 

 in the exchange office and in the hall immediately adjoining. Several portable 

 lire extinguishers have also been procured and placed where they may be most 

 accessible in case of need. 



INTERCHANGE OF PUBLICATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER 



COUNTRIES. 



The total number of packages handled by the international exchange service 

 during the past year was 203,098, an increase over the number for the preceding 

 year of 13,268. The weight of these packages was 435,285 pounds, a decrease 

 from 1907 of 34,251. This decrease in the weight is lai'gely due to the reduction 

 in the size of the government documents received for transmission. It may be 

 added that this circumstance has resulted from the executive order issued 

 January 20, 190G. This order, in brief, provides for the appointment by the 

 heads of departments of advisory committees on printing and publication, whose 

 duty shall be to see that unnecessary matter is excluded from reports and publi- 

 cations; to do away with the publication of uunecessaiy tables, and to require 

 88292— SM 1908 5 



