De ed a i te Taal aa aR ate ad a ie Bel rear coat 
institution within reach. The nation has already received rich 
gifts of art works though unable to give the least assurance that 
they would receive the treatment reouired by works of art. avery- 
thing else being equal, there can be little doubt that collectors 
would prefer that their treasures should pass into the possession 
of the nation, and Washington is the focusing point of the nation. 
It should not be assumed for a moment that an Art Museum is 
for the accommodation of paintings and sculptures merely. The Art 
Museum of the nation should cover a vastly wider field--the history 
of art--its evolution and its application to every branch of human 
activity which calls for the exercise of taste. The world knows 
that the imerican nation so far has barely made a beginning in this 
essential direction and there can be no question that we should, at 
the earliest possible moment, provide for a fine-arts building 
equal or Superior to the foremost in the world. On account of lack 
of artistic sense and design Americans have imported articles cost- 
ing hundreds of millions. 
The fourth requisite in the national group is the Museum of 
Technology. It should be devoted to the great field in which our 
national achievements are surprising the world. There is already 
a great body of material in hand but adeouate expansion is for- 
bidden by the lack of room. In case a building is provided for 
History and Art, the old red brick museum building will be made 
a Museum of Technology, This may be advocated not only because 
the building already contains a large body of technic material, but 
for the reason that being of brick and in the bad taste architec- 
turally of the Centennial period, it would not prove satisfactory 
for the housing of either History or Art, these branches requiring 
structures of large proportions and in the noblest type of 
architecture, 
The adequate founding of these four coordinated museums by 
the nation, in Washington is an absolute necessity if America 15 
to establish and hold her place among the foremost peoples of the 
world, , 
-o0o0- 
