APPENDIX 1. 



EEPORT 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 Eichard Eathbun, 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 Eock 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. Eathbun 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 msLj 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. Eathbun'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 archeolog3\ 



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 origiii 

 of the different collections. In London, for example, the subjects 

 combined in the United States National Museum are distributed be- 

 tween two sections of the British Museum (Bloomsbury and South 



29 



