94 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I07 



technique was in connection with area reports, and since other fac- 

 tors blocked the production of these, there was Httle occasion for 

 interviewing. 



3. FOREIGN SCHOLARS 



Residents in this country from other lands were not only an ex- 

 cellent source of much information, but also were, in many cases, 

 anxious to be of service. For many reasons Government agencies were 

 restricted in obtaining information directly from foreigners. It was 

 suggested that the Ethnogeographic Board might undertake the 

 organization of this vast source of knowledge. The Board agreed 

 but did nothing. Government agencies, including the Military, would 

 probably have been willing to disclose the types of information needed 

 from these foreign scholars. The Board had no obligation to deter- 

 mine the loyalty of these individuals, since it could easily check their 

 scholastic qualifications and the accuracy of their information. No 

 reasons were stated for the neglect of this service, but presumably 

 the old issue of personnel was the main cause. 



APPRAISAL 



In the preceding chapters the organization, materials, techniques, 

 and activities of the Ethnogeographic Board have been presented in 

 some detail, and each topic has been examined both from the point 

 of view of content and effectiveness. No resume is required, but rather 

 an over-all review of the accomplishments in terms of the potentiali- 

 ties. This is not intended to lead to any final conclusion on whether 

 the Board was successful or unsuccessful, since obviously it was 

 both, depending on the point of view. The Sponsors and the Founda- 

 tions have no cause to worry about the return on their investment, 

 and all those associated with the Board can justifiably point with 

 pride to the achievement. However, an appraisal of the over-all ex- 

 perience is necessary, if for no other reason than to guide the next 

 board in the next emergency. 



Service Organization 



The Ethnogeographic Board was established primarily as a service 

 organization for the war emergency. The coverage was broadly de- 

 fined to include all areas of the world and all resources represented by 

 the Sponsors. In practice the definition was soon reduced so that in- 

 stead of covering the world, the activities were concentrated on those 

 areas of most immediate concern to the Military, and instead of calling 



