The Washington herald., 1910-03-13

sition In the scientific world, his ability
as an organizer and an executive and
their debt TO him. the board Of regents or
the Smithsonian Institution should, upon
j Mr. LangIey's death, offer him the posi-
ton of secretary of the institution, title.
By the way, that hardly gives an ade-
quate idea of the dignity. influence, and
Importance OF the Office. Briefly, the
secretary of the Smithsonian Institution is
the executive officer Of the board Of re-
gents, the governing body of the institu-
ton. The board of regents Is COM
posed Of two members of the establish
ment, the Vice President OF the United
States, and its Chief Justice are, In vir-
tue of their Office, members Of the board
three members of the Senate. three mem
bers of the House of Representatives, and
six citizens. no two OF whom may be
from the same State. though two must be
residents OF Washington.
Has Important Duties.
The presiding officer OF the board OF re-
gents is the chancellor Of the establish
ment, who is elected by the board from
among their own number. This Office has
| invariably been held by the Vice Presi-
dent or the Chief Justice. The board also
elects its secretary. whose duties CORE
spond to those of director in other insti-
tutions. The establishment. mentioned
above, refers to the Smithsonian Institu-
ton, which is a corporation or establish
ment created by the act OF Congress ap-
proved August 10, 1876. It's statutory
members are the President, the Vice
President. and Chief Justice Of the United
States. and the Presidents Cabinet
Its duties are the supervision OF the
affairs of the institution and the advice
and instruction OF the board OF regents
Since its creation in 1916. the establish
ment has held less than dozen meetings,
so that its duties are not particularly on
erous. The board of regents average four
meetings year and its executive commit
| tee quarterly meetings. The real work
OF the institution is directed by the secre-
tary. who is elected for life. who is an
autocrat. accountable TO no one save the
board of regents, with large funds TO dis
pense. and with immeasurable influence
in the world of science.
The chief criticism that has been made
| Of the administration Of the Smithsonian
Institution is that its secretaries have
been specialists. It's first secretary was
an ardent physicist, his successor. Prof
Baird, was as ardent a naturalist, while
DR.. Waleotts immediate predecessor was,
| like Prof. Henry, a physicist who de-
voted the latter part of his life to work
| ing out a flying machine, which made
several flights. and. had its inventor lived
to fully develop his theories. it would
doubtless have proved a complete success.
Capable I'm Many Lines.
DR.. Walcott is. it is true. a geologfst.
but he comes very near being a jack
/, of-all-sciences and good at all. for, ike
Franklin, he does not limit himself to
one line but has interests as broad as
the world. His chief joy in life is ge-
ology, his pet fad the fauna of the Cam
brian rocks. He handles a bit of store,
bearing the impression of a trilobite with
much the same feeling that gem col
lector fingers his diamonds. emeralds,
and rubies, and It is TO be inspired with
his own enthusiasm to have him point
out the rock formations in photographs
taken by his own camera directed by his
own hand.
He has made wonderful pictures Of the
Rockies. showing great fields of snow
along their sides and great glaciers work
/ ing in and out among them, and he talks
eloquently of their stately charm. But
the peaceful scenes snapped in Southern
California, the wonderful flowers, more
vivid in coloring. more eccentric in shape
than those in any other part of the
/ l, IL TT
old Spanish buildings. indeed. appeal to
every one with an artistic or poetic
sense and they SO appealed to DR.. Wal
/ colt that he had built his Washington
/ home in the same style.
/ This interesting house is perched on
one of the highest points at the edge Of
town, with an abrupt fall of nearly
twenty feet TO the street below, to which
terraces and cleverly constructed steps
give access. an arrangement that recalls
in slight way the steps on the Piazza
d Spagna in Rome, which lead TO the
Church of Trinata di Monte, and Dr.
waleott must have had this charming
bit of architecture in mind when he
suggested the treatment of this sudden
fall of ground which was a subject OF
embarrassment to the engineers having
the Improvement of that part of the city
in hand
House of Odd Color.
The house OF that curious pink. that one
sees in the succeed buildings of the Med
iterranean ports, overlooking the terfaced
and picturesque descent with its back
ground of woods and clear blue sky might
be bit of italy or Spain dug up and
transplanted here.
While geology is his first and best love.
Mr.. Walcott has a keen interest in all
the other ologies in the dictionary. Arch
aeoiogy, ethnology. anthropology, and the
sciences with other endngs and begin
nings interest him as well and he recog-
nizes their place in great museum and
In the educational scheme Of the country.
To show how unbiased DR. Walcott is. he
was asked. when the project of a new
museum was first preached in Congress.
which ne would rather have new build
ing for the Geological Survey. al that time
almost bursting out Of the rented quar-
ters IT occupies, or a new building for
the museum
He gave his answer without hesitancy,
new museum by all means The educa-
tionaI interests needed it and such a
building would give a new impetus 10 the
study of science. awaken a new interest.
The money was finally appropriated, the
building is finished, but those who regard
it's noble exterior enjoy its various col
lections and carry on their work or re-
search or investigation within its walls
will never appreciate what ii cost in pa