8 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 194 5 



buildings on the Mall, besides the numerous buildings of the National 

 Zoological Park in northwest Washington. From a single series, 

 Smithsonian publications have expanded to include nine regular series 

 and four others issued at infrequent intervals. 



In promoting the increase of knowledge, the Institution conducts 

 and sponsors original researches and scientific explorations, mainly 

 in the fields of anthropology, biology, geology, and astrophysics ; the 

 diffusion of knowledge is accomplished through the publications just 

 mentioned, through museum and art gallery exhibits, through the In- 

 ternational Exchanges (of scientific and governmental publications), 

 through radio programs and popular science news releases, and 

 through answering the scientific inquiries of thousands of correspond- 

 ents each year. 



Throughout Smithsonian history the basic principle that has un- 

 derlain its scientific work is that researches shall be prosecuted for 

 the new knowledge to be gained alone, without regard to its possible 

 economic usefulness. This simple principle has enabled the Institu- 

 tion to accomplish much more in the way of new additions to existing 

 knowledge than might have been expected with its limited financial 

 resources, and it is the intention to continue this type of operation. 



I assumed the secretaryship in the midst of the trying times of 

 World War II. A large proportion of the Institution's normal ac- 

 tivities in research, exploration, and publication had been suspended 

 so that the staff could devote itself to aiding the Army and Navy in 

 the prosecution of the war. Some of this work is described later in 

 this report. At the close of the fiscal year, however, victory had been 

 achieved in Europe, and it was beginning to be apparent that the 

 Japanese could not resist much longer. My first duty, therefore, will 

 be to plan the orderly resumption of normal Smithsonian work, at the 

 same time taking stock of the Institution's position in the light of 

 postwar conditions. Two of the major problems facing the Institu- 

 tion at the close of the war are the inadequacy of the present buildings 

 for the National Museum, and the need for more personnel in the 

 scientific, clerical, and custodial categories. Steps to remedy both of 

 these conditions are under consideration. 



One of my first concerns was to review the relationship of the Insti- 

 tution with the Series Publishers, Inc., who published the Smithsonian 

 Scientific Series. This set of 12 volumes was written and edited by 

 members of the Institution's staff, and published and sold under con- 

 tract by the above corporation, the Institution receiving author's 

 royalties on all sales. Over the past several years numerous com- 

 plaints had reached the Institution regarding the selling methods of 

 the publisher's agents. I held a series of conferences with the officials 

 of the company, as a result of which it is believed the causes for 

 complaint have been largely eliminated. 



