202 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XV. No. 371. 



of his, but on reflection he had reached the 

 conclusion that it would be unwise to do so. 

 Pie also stated that the Carnegie Institution 

 would not be such a national university as 

 Washington thought possible in his day. 

 Mr. Carnegie also gave emphasis to his re- 

 peated dgsire that the income of the fund 

 should be largely devoted to extending 

 human knowledge by original investigation 

 and research. This would involve the selec- 

 tion of individual co-workers of excep- 

 tional powers. It would also lead to the 

 publication of important memoirs. Beyond 

 these fundamental restrictions the trustees 

 are left free to proceed as they may think 

 best froin time to time. Accordingly, an 

 executive committee of seven persons was 

 authorized to formulate plans and to take 

 such preliminary steps as might be impor- 

 tant before the annual meeting of the trus- 

 tees in November next. This committee 

 consists of the president of the Carnegie 

 Institution, Daniel C. Gilman, the four gen- 

 tlemen with whom Mr. Carnegie has been 

 advising during the last few weeks, namely : 

 Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, Dr. John S. Bill- 

 ings, Hon. Carroll D. "Wright and Hon. 

 Charles D. Wolcott, and, in addition, Hon. 

 Elihu Root and Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. The 

 executive committee immediately after 

 their appointment proceeded to discuss the 

 next step to be taken and determined to 

 begin by opening, temporarily, rooms in 

 Washington at No. 1439 K Street, where 

 conferences may be held. Next they pro- 

 pose to correspond with men in all parts 

 of the country who are acknowledged lead- 

 ers in science (using the word science in a 

 very broad sense), and after their answers 



are received to consider the suggestions 

 they may make, preliminary to future 

 action. They also propose to make a dili- 

 gent inquiry respecting all the kindred 

 agencies that are now promoting research 

 under the auspices of the government or 

 under the direction of universities and 

 technical schools. The experience of for- 

 eign countries will also be carefully 

 studied. 



From this statement it will be obvious 

 that the further development of this new 

 institution will be slow and gradual. It is 

 not expected that scholarships will be estab- 

 lished at present, and all requests for as- 

 sistance will be laid before the executive 

 conunittee. 



These points should be borne in mind. 

 The great object of the foundation is the 

 advancement of knowledge. The methods 

 are left to the free action of the trustees, 

 who will await the carefully matured sug- 

 gestions of the executive committee. Noth- 

 ing has been done in founding the new in- 

 stitution to further or to hinder the estab- 

 lishment of a national university which 

 has been so many times proposed to Con- 

 gress. Nothing is projected which will in 

 any way interfere with the purpose of the 

 George Washington Memorial Association 

 to secure the funds requisite for the erec- 

 tion of a memorial building. Nor has there 

 been any step taken which will prevent the 

 Washington Memorial Institution, initiated 

 early in the last summer, from developing 

 plans for. the introduction of students to 

 the vai'ious scientific bureaus of Washing- 

 ton. 



The Carnegie Institution is simply a new 



