Evening star., 1920-12-09
|SM|THSON|ANGETS
| 216,S71 SPECIMENS
Years Work Is Reviewed at
Annual Meeting of
Regents.

Explorations and expeditions made
under the auspices OF the Smithsonian
Institution to Africa. Australia, the
French Congo. the Canadian Rockies,
the far east, Haiti, Jamaica, Santo
Domingo and British Guiana received
special mention at the annual meeting
of the board OF regents OF the insti-
tuition held this morning in the Smith
sonian building.
Chief Justice White presided. while
others in attendance were vice fres-
ident Marshall, Senators Lodge ana
Thomas, Representatives Padgett.
Greene and Elston; George Gray, John
b. Henderson. Henry White, Robert 5.
Brookings and DR.. Charles d. Walcott.
secretary of the Smithsonian lnst'tu-
ton.
Tho secretarys comprehensive re-
port, reviewing the affairs OF the IN,
stitution and its various branches iaio
emphasis on the African expedition
as result of which SPECIMENS are al
ready beginning to arrive. and the ex-
pedition to Australia, for the purpose
Of collecting some OF the fast.dieap-
pearing birds and animals for the Ma
tional Museum.
The National Geological Park. of
all the institutions activities probably
the most popular. showed q total al
tendance for the last fiscal year OF
been Increased by 81, making a total
Of 1.427, while an appropriation OF
$50, 900 was made for thD purchase OF
land on Connecticut avenue for an
adequate approach to that entrance.
Among the needs mentioned Is that
for q good public restaurant.
The United States National Museum
received during the year 21S, speci-
mems in all Of its various departments
The great war collections were IN
creased, through the co-operatiop OF
the War and Navy departments by
large number of interesting objects
Visitors at the natural history build
ing numbered 422,sS4, and at the arts
and industries building. 250.s82. The
new Freer Gallery of Art was brought
nearly to completion and at the close
Of the year the art collections had be-
gun to arrive.
The bureau>of American ethnology
accomplished much in preserving the
language. customs and material cul-
ture Of the Indians. conducting field
work among the Oneida Indians, the
Seneca, the Fox, the Apache and other
tribes.
Work was continued by the stan
of the astrophysical observatory on
the study Of the radiation of the
sun. A private grant was received
which made possible the moving OF
the present observing station from
the plains near Calama. Chile, to
nearby mountain. away from the in
reference of smoke and dust. With
the remainder Of the grant it was
proposed to establish an additional
station on the Harqua Haia noun
tain in Arizona, so that from the re-
suits at the two widely separated
stations the value Of the solar OBJ
seryations can be definitely estab-
lished.
The International Exchange Service
has practically resumed the volume
of shipments and receipts of scientific
literature attained before war inter
fersd with it's operations. The affairs
of the International Catalogue OF
Scientific Literature were also re-
viewed in the report.
The secretary stated that on July
/, 1920. the National Gallery of Art
was, by means of a small congress
sional' appropriation. created q sepa'
rate administrative unit under the
Smithsonian Institution. instead of be-
ing, as formerly. a part of the Ma
tional Museum. This should be an
important step in the art develop
mont Of tho country. and il is hoped
eventually to have suitable building
to house the important and increasing
national art collections. their value
during the past fourteen years hav-
ing increased by hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars per year.