The Ordway new era. (Ordway, Colo.) 1902-1927, 1908-08-28
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Uncle Sam Is doing his best at the
dissemination of literature. He is at
the head of mighty international
book exchange which annually handles
about 100000 packages of books ag.
sregating half million pounds In
weight. and which are distributed to
all parts of the globe. 1t Is the gov
ernments clearing house for official
and scientific literature. and is known
as the International exchange system
or the Smithsonian exchanges.
Most OF the shipments made contain
iull sets of United States government
documents for authorized repositories.
and the balance consist OF depart.
mental and other publications for
miscellaneous correspondents. The
| lists of Smithsonian exchange CORE.
spondents include about 10000 sepa-
rate addresses.
These figures furnish some idea of
the large scope of operation OF a sys.
TEN which, outside the scientific and
academic world is not generally
known DR.. Cyrus Adler, assistant
secretary OF the Smithsonian Institu.
ton. in charge of the library and ex.
changes, explained recently the pur.
pose and work of this international lit.
erary clearing house.
The exchange service" he said. is
almost as old as the institution itself.
1t was originally designed for the pur.
pose of exchanging Smithsonian pub.
locations for those of other learned So
! ri al 90 md h.
ton OF congress and through n treaty
negotiated with various foreign coun-
tries. to which many nations have
since adhered. II has become an i'm.
portant international agency for the
exchange OF governmental. scientific
and literary publications. II Is devised
to benefit the institutions In this coun-
try and abroad. serving as one OF the
most important means for carrying
out the fundamental purpose OF the in
stitution. the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men.
1T Is through this system that the
original documents, reports of scien-
tiiic experiments. official transactions
Of societies. governmental publications
and like productions are sent to the H.
brarics and kindred institutions OF the
world. at great saving of labor and
expense. Instead of each society. as
ISOLATION or academy sending docu-
ments TO a thousand others. n constant
circulation Is maintained through the
medium of the Smithsonian Institu-
ton.
The operation of an official eX-
change bureau of this sort gains the
benefits of centralized effort. When
boxes and packages are properly
stamped by the Smithsonian lnstitu.
ton and marked international En-
changes. customs inspection is
waived For long time many steam.
ship lines went so far as to provide
free transportation on all packages
of Smithsonian exchanges. Further
privileges. such as the waving of GER
tain consular fees on bills of lading
are enjoyed by the exchange system,
making 1t altogether Of great service
not only to the government which sup
ports 1t, but to its citizens as well.
The government appropriation avail
able for this service during the pres
ent year is $4,000"
The idea of an international liter
airy exchange system is not new. 1t
was first permanently established 70
years ago by II. Alexandra Vattemare
of Paris. AS early as 1894. how
ever. the royal library of France.
authorized by King Louis XIV. con-
Quoted an international exchange for
several years, and the American Phil
osophical society BOUNDED in 1743)
and the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences (founded in 1850,
at the beginning of the nineteenth CEN
tury, traded their proceedings and
transactions for those of foreign scien-
tic societies. Mr.. Vattemare's eff
forts began in 1882. when he succeed
ed in interesting many learned men OF
Europe in his plans. In 1898 he visit
ed the United States and obtained the
Endorsement of many leading Ameri-
cans, among them Washington Irving,
Joel r. Poinsett, then secretary or
war: Cuban c. Verplanck. and also
the governments of number of cities.
On his second visit to this country he
was designated as the agent of the LII
brary of Congress to conduct the ex-
change system established between
France and the United States.
The National institute of this coun-
try in 1910 set up a similar interna-
tional exchange of natural history
specimens. Although the Smithsonian
exchange system had no direct con-
nection with those established be-
tween national governments by M.
yattemare, it soon superseded all 9TH
or plans for international exchanges.
The institution was founded in 1916
"for the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men," To further
the second term of this beQuest, the
first volume Of the Smithsonian pub