The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-01-29

AIo OOOlo Why WV oOAAoh'
For the Smithsonian II famous
al over the world. and IL better
known In Europe than It II In
America. A letter Of Introduction
from the Smithsonian 10 an open
- Sesame" almost anywhere abroad.
In London the guards Of the his
toric old Temple Church in war
time, when It was closed to wis.,
tors, actually admitted Victor
ylambeau to see the tombs Of tho
Knights Templar there for such
q Smithsonian letter In lieu OF q
Pass from the lord mayor Of London
Or the city council
When James SmtthsoA. IN Eng
nshman and president Of the Royal
Academy. nearly . hundred years
sso. boousashsd his wealth to the
American people TO found an Tn
stftution for the increase ana dif-
fusion Of knowtsdga" he had never
visited America. Yst ~ may guess
mat he vas at heart - imastna-
live a. any American, and dream
"a about the possibilities Of his
bsqusst and In future service to
the world. Tho best blood Of
England nows In my veins" hs
wrote. ''on my fathers side I am
Q Northumberland. on my mothers
am related to kings."
my name." 6mithson said again.
"shall live In the memory Of man
when the titles Of the Northum-
bsriands and the Psrciss ara az
tinct and forgotten"
So We may believe that his was
Q romantic temperament, though
the sedats portraits Of him pre-
served at the Smithsonian. with a
few old and rare books from his
library. give but . glimpse OF the
Oxford student In cap and gown.
and In later life the profound
scholar, who lived 90 long In &C.
noa and died there, whence in 1904
his body was removed to the United
States and Inferred in . crypt at
the Smithsonian. His fortune Of
some 100000 pounds. which came
to tho United States since his
obliging nephew died without heirs.
in 1916. amounted to nearly q mil
lion American dollars.
LANGLEY WAS SECRETARY.
And It 10 In the picturesque old
, Smithsonian building. designed by
James Renvick In tho Norman
style Of Gothic architecture. that
spoch-mairing experiments and in
vestigations have ever since been
going on, from the days Of the
famous Secretary Joseph Henry.
who with his family resided in
the Smithsonian. through the sec
retaryship Of Professor Langley.
with his visions Of flying, 30 am
ply realized alas! only after his
death, to the fascinating career Of
the present secretary. DR.. Charles
d. walcott. under whose super
sion the African trip Of ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt was organized. and
who Ia famous here and abroad as
the authority upon the Trilobite.
that elusive extinct creature that
haunted antediluvian seas, and 10
now found often locked away in
the mountain Businesses, whence
DR.. walcott e1humes him from
his rocky tomb, and writes books
kabout him that astound the world
with the new conception they give
w Of the vast length Of life on
this planet, counting years by ex-
travagant hundreds Of millions.
One reason We fear to visit the
Smithsonian and the Museum Is
because w find % much there to
enjoy that II 10 really bewildsr-
ins. 30 today. ~ We stroll about
instead Of trying to sec everything.
lot W fdAncs at one or two mat
tsrs CT interest. . group Of rare
pictorial photographs. and later on
q Presidential portrait or two.
First We will bother the official
photographer, and ask what he has
70 show.
"well. DR.. Oimsted. have you
anything new in photography"
"Ah. you've come at just the
right time We are holding .
special exhibition of pictorial pho
Biography. which I challenge you to
beat in beauty and artistic effect
in legitimate art, painting. AZ you
call II. Come with me up the
stairs to the balcony in the arts
and industries building. the old