Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-02
STATUS EXPLAINED
PRESIDENT GILMAN DISCUSSES
CARNEGIE INSTITUTION.
What It is and What It is Not-Study
Of Economic and Social
Problems.

| UeSle l0StitutlOn mas I'LL interesting dEtISiC
In Worlds Work. for March, in which he
| explains what the Institution Is and what
| 1t Is not"
| "A year has now passed., DR.. Gilman
writes. "since the country was surprised
and delighted by the announcement that
| Andrew Carnegie, the enlightened promoter
| of public libraries in this and other coun
| tries, had made a munif1cent gift for the en-
| dowment of the Carnegie Institution in
| Washington. Although the object of this
| foundation was clearly set forth in Mr.. Car
| regie's letter and in the act Of Incorporation,
| the methods to be pursued were left to the
| trustees. The income could not be appTo-
| priated until the trustees came together In
| November last. Meanwhile the executive
committee engaged in a very careful study
| of the problem: institutions were visited;
| leading men in many branches Of scientific
| investigation were consulted; volumfnous
| correspondence was begun, and the sugges-
lions made in the public press and in pri-
| vate communications were carefully con-
| sidered.
This brief statement indicates in what
| the Carnegie Institution has already en-
gagged. namely, the bestowal Of grants for
| research; the encouragement, by specific
grant. of a select number of investigators;
| arrangements for printing scientific me-
| ants and preliminary inquiries respecting
| large undertakings to be decided in the
| future.
Reasonable Curiosity.
There is a reasonable curiosity to know,
| specifically, what sort of Investigations
| are receiving Carnegie aid. The executive
| committee does not think 1t expedient. for
| many reasons, to publish at this stage Of
| the developments, this list. 1t is incomplete;
in many cases 1t is conditional. In some in
| stances the recipients of aid do not wish to
reveal their work. But in due course all the
particular appropriations will be communal
| Gated to the trustees. and they will doubtless
| cause them to be published. There Is no
concealment about the institution-only that
| degree Of reserve in the preliminaries. with
| out which results cannot be accomplished.
LAS examples Of the aid that the Carnegie
| Institution has already promised to give,
| these cases may be mentioned: For the en-
| enlargement of biological research lib
| eral grant has been made to the Marine
! Biological Laboratory, at Woods Hole,
| every summer by a large number Of nat
| uralists. For want of the requisite pc
| cuniary support, the institution has been
embarrassed; it will be reinvigorated by this
| grant. Two tables have been taken in DR..
| Dohrn's celebrated laboratory in Naples and
| one in a station to be established In the
| Bermudas.
"A grant has been made for the continual
| ton of the Index Medicus,' the key to cur
rent medical science, publication having
been suspended for the lack of pecuniary
support.
Economic and Social Problems.
Measures have been initiated for the
study of economic and social problems in
the United States. vast amount OF facts
having been accumulated in Washington
and In the several states Of the Union
which now to be examined, digested and
studied by competent economists
The examination of the imprinted ar
oht nf he Tod Cfofo will he rn6n
taken, with the cooperation of the officers
of the American A-.storical Association.
Much will be done in astronomy, and,
among other things, the publication of the
memoirs of George w. Hill is soon to be
undertaken.
Many minor grants have been devoted to
geology, physics. chemistry, psychology,
physiology and botany. One of the most
Interesting botanical inquiries that have
been set on foot is that of the vegetation Of
the arid regions of the United States, an
inquiry quite as interesting to the econo-
| mists and the legislators of this country as
it Is to men of science.
Second. negatively, from what has been
said, it is obvious that the Carnegie inst-
sense of that word. 1t has no faculty, 1t
has no body of stuIents brought together in
| one place. 1t has no systematic courses of
instruction. If lectures should be given
| under it's auspices they will probably be by
| specialists and to specialists, not popular
| lectures nor the sort of expositions required
for the instruction of young pupils.
A Supplementary Agency.
The fund is not intended for the aid of
| scholars in their antecedent or professional
| education. This must be provided for by
| the existing universities and colleges. Only
| those who are mature enough to show their
| powers will be aided
| THE Carnegie Institution does not pro-
pose to build up library nor to make COL
| lections in archaeology, ethnology and
| natural history.
THE Carnegie Institution does not intend
| to do that which other institutions or indi-
| viduals are doing or will undertake to do.
| ITO sum up the whole matter, the Car
| negie Institution is supplementary agency
| for the puEpose of Strengthening scientific
workers in any part of the country and
| aiding them to carry on investigations
| which promise to be Of Importance to the
| world"
| A dispatch from Ann Arbor, Mich, says:
| Prof. Andrew c.. Mclaughlin, head of the
| American history department in the Uni
| versity of Michigan, has received an offer
| of the chair of American history in the
| Carnegie Institute at Washington. His
| duties there would be research work, and
he would have corps of twelve assistants,
| each one the holder of 1900 fellowship.
| Prof Mclaughlin Is now in the east in
| vestigating the proposition, and will give
| his decision on his return here.
|