REPORT OE THE SECRETARY. 5 



sufficiently clear to all who may be interested or become interested in 

 the Institution and its work. 



There are numerous projects actually awaiting systematic develop- 

 ment that can not properly receive support from the Government and 

 which from their nature might be advantageously conducted under 

 the charge of the Institution; these include, among others, the scien- 

 tific exploration of large areas of Central and South America ; the in- 

 vestigation of various problems connected with the deposition of ores ; 

 investigations in regard to the production of petroleum by artificial 

 means; the study upon a large scale of anthropological and ethno- 

 logical problems having direct bearing on the future American peo- 

 ple; the systematic study of seismological (earthquake) phenomena. 

 Although it may be held that the practical demonstration of these 

 problems will be provided for elsewhere, it must be borne in mind 

 that few scientific activities are without some ultimate relation to 

 practical affairs and that researches bearing directly upon the activi- 

 ties of the people and natural productions must be carried on from 

 the scientific point of view. 



In order to further develop, if possible, that part of the Institution's 

 programme which has to do with the diffusion of knowledge, I have 

 tentatively initiated a plan which will greatly enlarge the scope of 

 the Institution's work in this respect. The carefully selected general 

 appendix to the Smithsonian Annual Report is the principal means, 

 aside from the International Exchange Service, whereby the Institu- 

 tion diffuses knowledge. Some 10,000 copies of these Reports are 

 printed, a large majority of which are placed in public libraries, where 

 they are accessible to many readers, while but a small proportion can 

 be sent to individuals. I have accordingly initiated a plan of having 

 prepared, in popular language, abstracts of the publications of the In- 

 stitution and sometimes special articles on the investigations in prog- 

 ress by the Institution. These have been distributed to the daily 

 newspapers, which, in the main, have made use of them. In this way 

 the material in the Reports and other publications of the Institution, 

 as well as the knowledge of current investigations, have been rendered 

 accessible to millions of readers. 



Although I assumed the office of Secretary on the 31st of January, 

 1907, I continued, at the request of the President, the direction of 

 affairs of the Geological Survey, with which, however, my connection 

 as Director terminated on April 30. 



In order that my time might be as free as possible for the affairs 

 of the Institution and for research work. I considered the question of 

 severing my relationship with the Carnegie Institution of Washing- 

 ton, of which I am a member of the board of trustees and of the 



