44 



REPOKT OF THE SECRETARY. 



war, were resumed in 1898, and on March 4 last the transmission of official 

 exchanges to Turkey, which had also been interrupted, ^^as renewed. Negotiations 

 are in progress with China. Costa Rica, and Japan looking toward a more systematic 

 interchange of public documents wath the two former countries and the perfecting 

 of means for the local distribution of miscellaneous publications in the latter. 



Upon the outbreak of hostilities between Spain and the United States all trans- 

 uiissions between the two countries Avere necessarily suspended, the restriction 

 placed upon the postal service and the refusal on the part of steamship companies 

 to accept freight for Spanish ports making any other course impossible. Steps have 

 already been taken toward reestablishing this service, which, it is hoped, will soon 

 be in full oi)eration. Exchanges for Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, formerly 

 sent through ^ladrid, are now forwarded directly to those islands. 



In the last report mention was made of the establishment of agencies at Vienna, 

 Austria, and Budapest, Hungary. After a trial of nine months witii the former and 

 of seventeen months with the latter, it is gratifying to report that the benefits have 

 been even greater than was anticij)ated. 



Great Britain and Germany still occupy, in the order named, the foremost posi- 

 tions among the patrons of the Exchange Service, both as to the number of corre- 

 spondents and the quantity of their contributions. In each of these countries the 

 Smithsonian Institution has agents in its own employ, Messrs. William Wesley & 

 Son in London and Dr. Felix Fliigel in Leipzig, whose long connection with the 

 service is a sufficient guaranty of their devotion to its interests. 



Tabular statement uf the work of tlie International Exchange Service during the fiscal year 



1898-99. 



