APPENDIX 7. 



EEPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF 

 SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the opera- 

 tions of the United States Bureau of the International Catalogue of 

 Scientific Literature for the fiscal j'ear ending June 30, 1919. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the war in Europe practically ceased 

 when the armistice of November 11, 1918, was declared, international 

 nffairs are still in such a chaotic state that no reorganization of the 

 International Catalogue has yet been possible. All of the regional 

 bureaus are in practically the same condition as they were in 1918, 

 and are having difficulty in obtaining suitable aid to carry on their 

 work. These conditions also greatly hamper the work of the Central 

 Bureau in London, which, in addition, is faced with the pressing 

 need of greater financial assistance. 



The receipts of the London Central Bureau, whose sole support 

 is derived from sales of the catalogue to the various subscribers 

 throughout the w^orld, have been greatlj^ curtailed and unless sub- 

 scriptions increase or the bureaus of Germany, Austria, Hungary, 

 Poland, Belgium, and Russia, who are in arrears to the extent of al- 

 most $9,000 per annum, again contribute their support it will be nec- 

 essary to obtain assistance from some other source to finance the en- 

 terprise after tlie publication of the fourteenth annual issue. 



Since the publication of the last annual report of this bureau 

 eight volumes of the catalogue have been jDublished, which com- 

 pletes the work through the thirteenth annual issue, with the excep- 

 tion of one volume, that of physiology. Twelve of the 17 volumes of 

 the fourteenth annual issue have been published. 



This bureau has continued to collect and classify the publications 

 of the United States, and has noAv on hand a great quantity of mate- 

 rial for the future volumes of the catalogue; indeed, in spite of war 

 conditions, some of the sciences, notabl}^ zoology, have been indexed 

 far in advance of the published volumes. 



It has been evident ever since the beginning of the war that there 

 would have to be a general reorganization of the catalogue when in- 

 ternational affairs become sufficiently settled to enable the various 

 countries taking part in the enterprise to decide how much aid they 

 can individually render in order that the ever-increasing literature 

 of science may be made available for general reference, and then 

 9S 



