NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD BENNETT 15 



notes, and participated in the survey of area programs in the uni- 

 versities. Dr. Barnett served as the executive secretary on the 

 Pacific Survey Project, and later as director of the War Document 

 Survey. 



The staff worked together with remarkable harmony. Only in 

 the case of the survey of area programs did the lack of positive 

 directives cause some confusion. Four of the six staff members were 

 regular employees of the Smithsonian, which, under the circumstances 

 of being in the home building, might have led to divided loyalties. 

 That this was not too disruptive is due in large part to the fact that 

 the Directorate itself was practically a part of the Smithsonian, and 

 certainly took over many of the functions of the Smithsonian War 

 Committee. 



The staff was competent, but too limited in number to handle 

 many of the wider aims of the Board, particularly the establishment 

 of sound academic relationships and the development of research 

 promotion. At one point, the Director received permission to appoint 

 a new man, who could relieve him of some of the routine, and at 

 the same time undertake new projects. It proved impossible to find 

 anyone, although many were considered, and some offers were made. 

 This was only partially a question of salary, since the Ethnogeo- 

 graphic Board had reasonable funds. It can be attributed in part to 

 the disagreement among the Sponsors on almost every man suggested, 

 and in part because the job was necessarily of a temporary nature. 

 Those seeking jobs preferred to go to one of the Government war 

 agencies ; those with jobs could not be persuaded to take a leave of 

 absence for the purpose. 



The question can be raised as to whether part-time personnel might 

 not have been one solution. The Director claimed that the Board 

 could not take on many large projects nor build up sufficient contacts 

 with scholars because there was no staff member to assume such 

 responsibilities. The attitude was that the man must be found first, 

 and then the project or program built around him. If the approach 

 had been reversed, and the project placed first, then it might have 

 been possible to find the people to carry it out. This is merely con- 

 jecture, and might not have been possible during the drastic shortage 

 of trained personnel in the war period. 



Cooperating Committees 



Five committees were associated with the Ethnogeographic Board 

 even in its prenatal days : the Joint Committee on Latin American 



