﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  SECRETARY 
  15 
  

  

  not 
  yet 
  known 
  about 
  the 
  rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  which 
  support 
  all 
  life, 
  

   make 
  all 
  weather, 
  and 
  directly 
  or 
  indirectly 
  supply 
  all 
  power. 
  

   Knowledge 
  of 
  four 
  things 
  about 
  the 
  sun 
  is 
  particularly 
  needed 
  at 
  the 
  

   present 
  time 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  Which 
  rays 
  are 
  best 
  for 
  human 
  health 
  and 
  growth, 
  and 
  at 
  what 
  intensity? 
  

   How 
  do 
  these 
  intensities 
  change 
  by 
  day, 
  by 
  year, 
  by 
  altitude, 
  and 
  by 
  latitude? 
  

   Physicians 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  now 
  for 
  information 
  on 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  

   sun 
  rays 
  on 
  child 
  health. 
  We 
  can 
  not 
  give 
  them 
  the 
  answei", 
  nor 
  can 
  anyone 
  

   else, 
  because 
  the 
  investigations 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  made. 
  

  

  2. 
  What 
  rays 
  and 
  in 
  what 
  intensity 
  promote 
  growth 
  and 
  reproduction 
  In 
  

   the 
  great 
  food 
  and 
  otherwise 
  commercially 
  valuable 
  plants? 
  Are 
  useful 
  

   modifications 
  of 
  these 
  plants 
  possible 
  by 
  the 
  regulation 
  of 
  radiation? 
  How 
  

   do 
  plants 
  use 
  solar 
  energy 
  to 
  make 
  chemical 
  energy, 
  and 
  can 
  we 
  improve 
  

   upon 
  their 
  processes 
  and 
  accomplish 
  photosynthesis 
  directly? 
  

  

  3. 
  Can 
  solar 
  rays 
  advantageously 
  be 
  used 
  directly 
  for 
  power? 
  • 
  

  

  4. 
  Can 
  studies 
  of 
  solar 
  variation 
  foretell 
  good 
  and 
  bad 
  weather 
  conditions? 
  

  

  The 
  Smithsonian 
  is 
  particularly 
  fitted 
  through 
  its 
  lohg 
  experience 
  

   and 
  trained 
  personnel 
  to 
  attack 
  fundamental 
  problems, 
  and 
  is 
  only 
  

   restrained 
  from 
  doing 
  so 
  by 
  lack 
  of 
  funds. 
  Examples 
  might 
  be 
  

   cited 
  for 
  nearly 
  every 
  branch 
  of 
  science. 
  

  

  The 
  acting 
  secretary 
  concluded 
  his 
  address 
  by 
  calling 
  attention 
  to 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  private 
  endowment 
  is 
  essential 
  for 
  a 
  continuous 
  pro- 
  

   gram 
  of 
  pure 
  science 
  research, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  unique 
  strategical 
  position 
  

   of 
  the 
  Institution 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  effective 
  increase 
  and 
  diffusion 
  of 
  

   knowledge. 
  

  

  After 
  an 
  address 
  by 
  Frederic 
  A. 
  Delano, 
  Regent 
  of 
  the 
  Institution, 
  

   emphasizing 
  the 
  great 
  opportunity 
  before 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  of 
  becom- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  motivating 
  head 
  of 
  all 
  governmental, 
  quasi 
  governmental, 
  and 
  

   private 
  research 
  work 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  of 
  pure 
  science, 
  and 
  an 
  introduction 
  

   to 
  the 
  special 
  exhibits 
  by 
  Assistant 
  Secretary 
  Alexander 
  Wetmore, 
  

   the 
  conference 
  viewed 
  tlje 
  exhibits 
  grouped 
  around 
  the 
  main 
  hall. 
  

   These 
  dealt 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Institution 
  in 
  anthropology, 
  

   geology 
  and 
  paleontology, 
  biology, 
  and 
  astrophysics, 
  and 
  also 
  illus- 
  

   trated 
  its 
  activities 
  in 
  the 
  diffusion 
  of 
  knowledge 
  through 
  its 
  publica- 
  

   tions, 
  its 
  scientific 
  library, 
  its 
  International 
  Exchange 
  Service, 
  and 
  

   the 
  International 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  Scientific 
  Literature. 
  

  

  After 
  a 
  luncheon 
  for 
  the 
  conferees, 
  which 
  was 
  attended 
  by 
  the 
  

   President 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  an 
  informal 
  discussion 
  was 
  held 
  on 
  

   the 
  main 
  purpose 
  of 
  the 
  conference, 
  " 
  to 
  advise 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  

   future 
  policy 
  and 
  field 
  of 
  service 
  of 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution." 
  

   The 
  chancellor, 
  Mr. 
  Chief 
  Justice 
  Taf 
  t, 
  as 
  chairman, 
  turned 
  the 
  direc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  discussion 
  over 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Dwight 
  W. 
  Morrow, 
  regent 
  of 
  the 
  

   Institution, 
  who 
  in 
  turn 
  called 
  upon 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  distinguished 
  guests 
  

   to 
  comment 
  upon 
  the 
  past 
  or 
  the 
  present 
  or 
  the 
  future 
  of 
  the 
  Institu- 
  

   tion. 
  The 
  speakers 
  included 
  Dr. 
  John 
  C. 
  Merriam, 
  president 
  of 
  the 
  

   Carnegie 
  Institution 
  of 
  Washington; 
  Dr. 
  William 
  Henry 
  Welch, 
  

  

  