REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 5 
sufficiently clear to all who may be interested or become interested in 
the Institution and its work. 
There are numerous projects actually awaiting systematic develop- 
ment that can not properly receive support, from the Government and 
which from their nature might be advantageously conducted under 
the charge of the Institution; these include, among others, the scien- 
tific exploration of large areas of Central and South America; the in- 
vestigation of various problems connected with the deposition of ores; 
investigations in regard to the production of petroleum by artificial 
means; the study upon a large scale of anthropological and ethno- 
logical problems having direct bearing on the future American peo- 
ple; the systematic study of seismological (earthquake) phenomena. 
Although it may be held that the practical demonstration of these 
problems will be provided for elsewhere, it must be borne in mind 
that few scientific activities are without some ultimate relation to 
practical affairs and that researches bearing directly upon the activi- 
ties of the people and natural productions must be carried on from 
the scientific point of view. 
Tn order to further develop, if possible, that part of the Institution’s 
programme which has to do with the diffusion of knowledge, I have 
tentatively initiated a plan which will greatly enlarge the scope of 
the Institution’s work in this respect. The carefully selected general 
appendix to the Smithsonian Annual Report is the principal means, 
aside from the International Exchange Service, whereby the Institu- 
tion diffuses knowledge. Some 10,000 copies of these Reports are 
printed, a large majority of which are placed in public libraries, where 
they are accessible to many readers, while but a small proportion can 
be sent to individuals. I have accordingly initiated a plan of having 
prepared, in popular language, abstracts of the publications of the In- 
stitution and sometimes special articles on the investigations in prog- 
ress by the Institution. These have been distributed to the daily 
newspapers, which, in the main, have made use of them. In this way 
the material in the Reports and other publications of the Institution, 
as well as the knowledge of current investigations, have been rendered 
accessible to millions of readers. 
Although I assumed the office of Secretary on the 31st of January, 
1907, I continued, at the request of the President, the direction of 
affairs of the Geological Survey, with which, however, my connection 
as Director terminated on April 30. 
In order that my time might be as free as possible for the affairs 
of the Institution and for research work, I considered the question of 
severing my relationship with the Carnegie Institution of Washing- 
ton, of which I am a member of the board of trustees and of the 
