REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 33 



exchange relations with Germany. On the occasion of Mr. Winlock's 

 »'isit the Secretary was in Europe and called personall}^, with Mr. 

 Eiistis, the American minister, on the minister of public instruction 

 'n Paris, and secured from him a promise that he would endeaAor to 

 obtain from the Chambers something more than the inadequate sum, 

 approximately $2,000, then provided for the French exchanges. 



All these missions having proved only partially successful, however, 

 and the condition of affairs with France having grown worse rather 

 than better, the Secretary decided to give the matter his personal 

 attention in an otherwise unofficial trip he was making to Europe for 

 rest; a purpose with which this business interfered more than he had 

 anticipated. 



The endeavor to improve the relations with the exchanges in Eng- 

 land, France and German}' commenced in the fiscal year covered b}^ 

 the present report, but extended in its latter portion into the present 

 year. In order to avoid discontinuity, however, the Secretary presents 

 the Avhole subject at this time. 



On the 5th of June the Secretary wrote as follows: 



June 5, 1000. 



Sir: I beg to bring to your attention a matter which has been the 

 subject of much correspondence between the Department of State and 

 the Smithsonian Institution during the past twent}^ years, and which 

 is still in a most unsatisfactory condition. I allude to the sj'stem of 

 international exchanges, which rests upon a treaty concluded at Brus- 

 •^els March 15, 1880, and which was signed by the President July 19, 

 1888. 



To this treaty some of the most important nations of Europe have 

 )iever agreed. England and Germany are not parties to it at all, 

 while France and Russia conformed to a previous convention on the 

 suliject, but have never bound themselves to abide b}^ the terms of the 

 treaty. This works unfairly to this country, for whereas this Gov 

 ernment presents one copy of every document published at the Govern- 

 ment Printing Ofhce to the national or legislative libraries of foreign 

 countries, a most inadequate return is made; more especially from the 

 countries of which I speak. Representatives of the Institution have 

 been sent abroad on repeated occasions by my predecessors in this 

 office, and by me, to try to regularize our exchanges. They have all 

 failed, perhaps because as subordinate officers and not working with the 

 advice of the Department, they could not exercise a proper influence. 



Complaints are frequently made through bureaus of this Govern- 

 ment of failures of the Exchange Service, due in reality wholly to its 

 inability to control the actions of foreign Governments, and these at 

 times are transmitted through the Department of State, which I have 

 accordingly had occasion to already advise that the relations which 

 exist with the principal foreign countries in this respect are not only 

 unsatisfactory, but tend to grow worse. 



I should be glad to know whether the Department derems it expedi- 

 ent at this time to obtain the adherence of England, Germany, and 

 France to the Brussels treaty or to negotiate separate treaties, or 

 whether any other step could be suggested to bring about a result so 

 SM 1900 3 



