4. ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1926 
den treasures of knowledge from the great collections under its care; 
to prosecute vigorously for the ultimate benefit of mankind its re- 
searches in astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, 
meteorology, and the life sciences; to publish amply, both for the 
specialist and the general reader; to answer generously those who 
seek its information. The Smithsonian Institution desires to con- 
tinue worthy of being, as it must forever be, the national institution 
for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men. With these 
objects, it is unfitting that the endowment of the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution should be inadequate and so far inferior to the endowments 
of first-rank private institutions having no national status. 
In the report for 1925 I called attention to the fact that a sub- 
stantial addition to the Institution’s resources was imperative. The 
support of the few major researches at present carried on through 
gifts for specific investigations is becoming more and more precari- 
ous and the publications of the Institution are reduced to one-third 
ot their former number. To meet this situation, a direct effort was 
determined upon to increase the permanent endowment, and one 
step mentioned last year was an agreement made with the William 
T. De Van Corporation, of New York, to issue the Smithsonian 
Scientific Series, a series of illustrated popular science books to be 
written by members of the staff, describing in attractive form the 
activities of the Institution and the bureaus under its direction in 
many branches of science. The method at first proposed of pub- 
lishing the series was found to be impractical, and toward the close 
of the past fiscal year a new method was evolved which it is believed 
will be more successful. 
It was further noted in last year’s report that another project 
for imcreasing the Institution’s resources was under consideration 
but had not been definitely entered into by the close of the year. 
This project has since taken shape, and in November, 1925, the 
Board of Regents announced publicly that the Institution would go 
before the American public to raise an addition of $10,000,000 to its 
endowment fund. Since that time the officials of the Institution 
have been engaged in laying the necessary groundwork for such a 
campaign, and it is expected that the actual raising of money will 
begin during the coming autumn. The official announcement of the 
Board of Regents called attention to the totally inadequate present 
income of the Smithsonian, outlined briefly its past achievements 
and world-wide reputation, and mentioned the many important 
projects in the realm of pure science which it was equipped to 
undertake but had not the means for. The announcement concluded 
as follows: 
Current history proves that nations climb to higher standards of living 
on the ladder of science. It was Pasteur who claimed that “science is the 
