SECRETARIA DE GUERRA Y DE MARINA. 
(SECRETARIAT OF WAR AND MARINE. ) 
The Secretaria de Guerra y de Marina has existed as such without funda- 
mental change in function since 1821. As now organized, it has charge of 
the following branches of administration: the regular army, the navy and the 
merchant marine, the national guard in the Federal service, military legisla- 
tion, military justice, military pardons, letters of marque, military schools, 
naval schools, military hospitals, fortifications, quarters, construction estab- 
lishments, manufacture of arms and munitions, arsenals, dockyards, Federal 
military deposits and stores, rebellious Indians, military colonies, seacoasts 
with reference to navigation, and, in general, all things necessary for the 
defense of the national territory. 
The Secretariat comprises nine branches called Departments, and four that 
go under other names. The Departments are: Infantry (Infanteria), Cav- 
alry (Cavalleria), Artillery (Artilleria), Engineers (Ingenieros), Marine 
(Marina), Sanitary Service (Servicio Sanitario), Justice (Justicia), Archive 
and Library (Archivo y Biblioteca), and Accounts and Administration 
(Cuentas y Administracién) of the Army. The other branches are the Staff 
(Estado Mayor), the Private Secretariat (Secretaria Particular) of the Sec- 
retary of War and Marine, the Distribution Office (Oficialia de Partes), and 
the Telegraph Department (Mesa del Servicio Telegrafico). 
So far as the present writer was able to ascertain, the principal archives of 
importance for the history of the United States are the General Archive 
(Archivo General) of the Secretariat, the Archive of the Library (Archivo 
de la Biblioteca), and the archive of the Estado Mayor. Most of the depart- 
ments have individual archives, but as a rule the records for all but recent 
dates have been sent to the Archivo General. However, more detailed search 
than was possible might bring to light valuable material in some of the depart- 
ment archives. Excepting the considerable collection in the Archivo de la 
Biblioteca, where older documents are found, most of the records of the Sec- 
retariat are for the period subsequent to 1821. 
THE ARCHIVO GENERAL. 
(THE GENERAL ARCHIVE. ) 
The Archivo General of the Secretariat of War and Marine is located in 
the Palacio Nacional, being reached by passing through the main patio. Ad- 
mission is secured through the minister of war and marine. The archive is 
open in the morning from 9:00 until 1:00, and arrangements can usually be 
made to work in the afternoon. 
The collection is an enormous one, containing, perhaps, a greater bulk of 
documents than the Archivo General y Publico de la Nacion. Most of the 
records are grouped into ten fracciénes (divisions), which, in turn, are 
arranged in legajos bearing membretes, or tickets which indicate in a general 
way the contents. For each fraccién there is an indice kept in book form. 
By tar the most important divisions of the archive for historical purposes 
are Fracciones Primera and Segunda, which contain, respectively, records of 
military operations, and personal data regarding the higher officers. The 
nature of the other divisions is indicated on pages 304-305. m 
