EEPORT OP THE SECRETARY. 31 



Through an increase in the appropriation granted by Congress 

 it was possible during the year to inaugurate a system of work which 

 had long been in mind — that of actively seeking returns from foreign 

 countries for the exchanges sent to them by this Government and its 

 departments and bureaus. The result has already been more than 

 satisfactory, but the effort is so recent that its full fruition can hardly 

 be expected within the year. A number of most gratifying acknowl- 

 edgments have been received from various departments of the Gov- 

 ernment regarding this new work. 



The transmission of packages has been much more prompt during 

 the past twelve months than during any like period in the history of 

 the service, shipments being made to all countries at least once a 

 month. 



At the request of the Russian Commission of International Ex- 

 changes, on behalf of "the library commission of the Douma, the 

 interchange of parliamentary publications has been entered into with 

 Russia. 



The French Chamber of Deputies has also made a request, through 

 the Department of State, for the exchange of parliamentary docu- 

 ments, and the matter was communicated to Congress by the depart- 

 ment during the last session. 



At the time the convention for the exchange of official documents 

 and scientific and literary publications was concluded at Brussels 

 in 1886, an agreement was also entered into between the United 

 States and several other countries for the immediate exchange of 

 official journals, etc., but in the absence of the necessary legislation 

 by Congress no steps have been taken by the Institution to carry this 

 agreement into effect. As the subject has now been brought to the 

 attention of Congress, it is hoped that a sufficient number of copies 

 of the Congressional Record may be set aside for this purpose. 



In accordance with treaty stipulations and under the authority of 

 the congressional resolutions of March 2, 1867, and March 2, 1901, 

 setting apart a certain number of documents for exchange with for- 

 eign countries, there are now sent regularly to depositories abroad 

 54 full sets of United States official publications and 32 partial sets, 

 China having been added during the year to the list of countries 

 receiving full sets and Montenegro and Liberia to the list of those 

 receiving partial sets. 



As a result of correspondence between the Smithsonian Institution 

 and the diplomatic envoys from the Republic of Liberia, regarding 

 the establishment of a bureau of international exchanges in that 

 country and the interchange of official documents between that 

 country and the United States, the department of state at Monrovia 

 has been designated to act as the exchange intermediary between 



