AmAprnr('i903arm*}     Carnegie  Institution  of  Washington.  177 
Some  of  the  ablest  thinkers  and  investigators  in  the  country  have  already 
called  attention  to  important  lines  of  inquiry.  Their  communications  will  be 
referred  to  special  committees  in  different  departments  of  knowledge — astronom- 
ical, physical,  chemical,  biological,  geological,  archaeological,  philological, 
historical,  bibliographical,  economical,  etc. — and  the  referees  will  be  requested 
to  add  their  own  suggestions  and  to  report  to  the  Carnegie  Institution  such 
methods  of  procedure  and  the  names  of  such  investigators  as  they  deem  likely 
to  advance  with  wisdom  the  great  purpose  of  the  foundation. 
No  large  appropriations  can  be  made  at  present,  as  there  will  be  no  income 
from  the  fund  before  August.  The  summer  will  be  chiefly  devoted  to  a  careful 
study  of  the  problems  of  scientific  investigation,  at  home  and  abroad,  and  in 
the  autumn  definite  plans  of  procedure  will  be  formulated. 
Any  member  of  the  Executive  Committee  will  be  glad  to  receive  from  you  at 
any  time,  suggestions,  opinions  and  advice  as  to  fields  that  the  Carnegie  Insti- 
tution ought  to  occupy  and  the  best  methods  for  carrying  forward  its  work  in 
those  fields  ;  but  in  order  that  important  papers  designed  for  official  considera- 
tion may  be  properly  recorded  and  filed,  they  should  be  addressed  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Carnegie  Institution,  T439  K  Street,  Washington.  D.  C. 
Daniel  C.  Gilman,  Chairman, 
Chari.ES  D.  Walcott,  Secretary, 
John  S.  Billings, 
Abram  S.  Hewitt, 
S.  Weir  Mitchell, 
Elihu  Root, 
Carroll  D.  Wright, 
March,  1902.  Executive  Committee. 
For  its  guidance,  the  committee  has  formulated  and  adopted  the 
following  statements  as  to  its  purposes,  principles,  organization  and 
policy : 
Purposes — In  connection  with  the  determination  of  the  policy  ol 
the  Institution,  it  is  necessary  to  clearly  define  its  purposes  and  to 
adopt  some  general  plan  for  organization  and  administration.  The 
purposes  are  declared  by  the  founder  to  be  : 
"  To  found  in  the  city  of  Washington  an  institution  which,  with 
the  co-operation  of  institutions  now  or  hereafter  established,  there  or 
elsewhere,  shall  in  the  broadest  and  most  liberal  manner  encourage 
investigation,  research  and  discovery- — show  the  application  of 
knowledge  to  the  improvement  of  mankind,  provide  such  buildings, 
laboratories,  books  and  apparatus  as  may  be  needed,  and  afford 
instruction  of  an  advanced  character  to  students  properly  qualified 
to  profit  thereby." 
And  he  adds : 
"  That  his  chief  purpose  is  to  secure,  if  possible,  for  the  United 
States  of  America,  leadership  in  the  domain  of  discovery  and  the 
utilization  of  new  forces  for  the  benefit  of  man." 
