APPENDIX 1. 
REPORT ON THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
Sir: It is with profound sorrow that I record the death at his 
home in this city on July 16, 1918, of Richard Rathbun, assistant 
secretary of the Smithsonian Institution since 1897, and, as such, in 
charge of the United States National Museum since 1898. 
Out of respect to his memory the flags on the buildings of the 
Institution were carried at half-mast until after the interment of 
his remains in Rock Creek Cemetery on July 18. Business was sus- 
pended in the offices and the public exhibition halls were closed on 
the day of his funeral. 
This is not the place to give an adequate review of the work of 
Mr. Rathbun as a man of science, or to recall his contributions to 
the upbuilding of the institution with which he was so long con- 
nected. I may be permitted, however, to express here my sense of 
bereavement in the passing of a man whose friendship and personal 
and official confidence I was permitted to enjoy. 
During Mr. Rathbun’s disability, and after his decease, the ad- 
ministration of the Museum devolved upon me as next in authority. 
On November 1, 1918, the position of assistant secretary of the 
Smithsonian Institution in charge of the United States National 
Museum was discontinued, and I, as directed by you, assumed charge 
of the administrative affairs of the Museum, with the title of ad- 
ministrative assistant to the secretary. In addition to the general 
duties of the above assignment, I was: designated director of arts 
and industries. 
Introduction—The scope of the National Museum embraces many 
subjects, which may be classed under the following headings: 
1. Natural history, comprising zoology, botany, geology, mineral- 
ogy, paleontology, physical anthropology, ethnology, and archeology. 
2. Applied science and art (Arts and Industries). 
3. The fine arts (National Gallery of Art). 
4, American history. 
At the capitals of the principal countries abroad there are gener- 
ally several separate Government museums for these various classes, 
notably in London and Paris, resulting from the independent origin 
of the different collections. In London, for example, the subjects 
combined in the United States National Museum are distributed be- 
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