40 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



ministerial departments in order that everything- that the Government 

 publishes shall bo sent. 



I partieularl}" eall your attention to this expression of intended offi- 

 cial action, which, so far as 1 know, has had no result. 



It has been understood that this was due primarily to the wholly 

 inadequate appropriation of 10,000 francs, which appears to be all that 

 is given l^y tlie French Government for this service, as compared with 

 120,000 francs ($21,000) appropriated by our own Government for a 

 similar service. 



It seems, then, desirable that the French Government shall, if it does 

 not desire to become a party to the Brussels treaty, undertake to make, 

 through some designated channel, delivery of all its official pu])lications 

 through the bureau in question in exchange for the set of publications 

 now forwarded to the Bibliotheque Rationale. 



2. Scientific and liteniry exchanges. 



Since its foundation the Smithsonian Institution has conducted a 

 system for the exchange of literary and scientific publications volun- 

 tarily presented by institutions and individuals in the United States 

 to others in France and her colonies, and reciprocally. Thi:. interna- 

 tional system has proved itself of the greatest vahie to literary and 

 scientific men everywhere, and it has been conducted on the part of 

 the United States Government by the Smithsonian Institution with 

 the understood cooperation of the French Government, the Institution 

 delivering the pul)lications in question at the port of Havre at the 

 cost of the United States Government. There has, however, been 

 much complaint from the correspondents of the Institution of the 

 delay of the delivery of publications forwarded from America to 

 France and from France to America, a delay which arises in French 

 territory and from causes beyond our control, 1'he French Govern- 

 ment now delivers French literary and scientific publications at the 

 port of New York, and the Institution punctually distributes these at 

 its own cost. 



I beg to add, in anticipation of any possible inquiry, that as regards 

 the literary and scientific exchanges, not only are those of a mercan- 

 tile character not admitted, but that such are rareh" tendered even; 

 and that so far as can be gathered from an experience of somewhat 

 over fifty years, the great advantages that this system offers to literary 

 and scientific men are unlikely to be abused. 



I beg to inclose with this for your convenience a copy of a recent 

 letter from the honorable the Secretar}^ of State, a copy of the Brus- 

 sels treaty referred to, and a copy of History of the Smithsonian 

 Exchange System between the years 1819 and 1881. 



I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



S. P. Langley, 

 Seci'etary of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Henry Vignaud, Esq., 



Charge (T Affaires., United States Mnhassy, 



Avenue Klwer., Paris. 



In spite of the good will of the embassy, the Secretary found it impos- 

 sil^le to secure an immediate interview with the minister of public 

 instruction, and as he did not wish to remain in Paris indefinitelv he 



