68 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I07 



Latin American Studies at each Washington meeting has arranged a 

 luncheon with various Government officials interested in Latin 

 America. This has served the dual purpose of enlarging the scope 

 of the discussion and of making the work of the committee known to 

 the Government. 



When the Ethnogeographic Board was founded, the Councils urged 

 that the conference technique be utilized as a means of cutting across 

 departmental lines. The Director was invited to attend a number of 

 conferences in order to learn the pattern, and also to speak for the 

 Ethnogeographic Board. During its first year, the Board arranged lo 

 major conferences of its own, based specifically on regions. Indi- 

 viduals from various Government agencies and from academic insti- 

 tutions were invited to each. The primary purpose was orientation, 

 that is, introducing Government people to each other and to scholars 

 with corresponding interests. At each dinner some problem of a re- 

 gional nature was presented for discussion. This conference technique 

 proved particularly useful in a wartime setting but would certainly be 

 equally useful in any period. Consequently, it seems worth while to 

 describe the conferences sponsored by the Ethnogeographic Board as 

 a basis for an over-all analysis. The description follows a chrono- 

 logical order. 



I. AFRICAN SPECIALISTS (SEPTEMBER 21, I942) 



A dinner was held at the Cosmos Club for the purpose of bringing 

 together representatives of Africa sections of different Government 

 agencies. Sixteen people attended, representing, informally, the Board 

 of Economic Warfare, Office of Strategic Services, Military Intel- 

 ligence, Commerce, State, and the Councils. The invitations were 

 issued by telephone, and no agenda was prepared. No records of the 

 discussion were kept because the meeting was considered confidential. 

 The Director made a few notes on the attitudes of the participants 

 for future reference. 



2. FAR EASTERN GEOGRAPHERS (OCTOBER 5, I942) 



George B. Cressey, of Syracuse University, felt that there was a 

 need for an Asiatic Geographical Institute. The Board offered to 

 arrange a dinner conference to explore and discuss the possibilities. 

 Twenty-four attended, representing the Office of Strategic Services, 

 Board of Economic Warfare, State, Army, Navy, Lend Lease, the 



