Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-11
SEEKS ENDOWMENT
. FOR SMITHSONIAN
Dr.. Walcott Tells Regents of
Plans to Raise $4,000, 900
From Public.

I Discussing a wide variety Of sub
I jects, ranging from plans for raising
on endowment fund of 10000 900 by
: public subscription to the need Tor n
giraffe and q pigmy hippopotamus in
the Zoo DR. Charles d. Walcott, sec
retarv of the Smithsonian Institution,
today submitted his annual report to
the yearly meeting of the institutions
board of regents.
DIR. Walcott frankly told the re-
gents. over whom Chief Justice Taft
presided as chairman. that the past
year marked a crisis in the financial
affairs of the institution. The dis
parity between the magnitude of the
research and publishing activities Of
the Smithsonian Institution and its
annual income OF 500 900 has reached
a point where additional funds must
be obtained. he said.
Work Greatly Curtailed.
AS an instance, DIR. Walcott pointed
out that only $4,000 was available for
research during the closing year and
that the institution would have been
unable to carry on its work had it
not been for the assistance of private
individuals. And despite this gener-
pSity," he added, the institutions pub
locations have been cut TO third of
series have been suspended alto
gether.''
For these reasons" DR.. Walcott
continued, .the institution has deter
mined on several steps to increase its
resources. One Of these is a plan to
issue a series Of popular scientific
books to be known as the Smithsonian
Scientific series. Another plan has
been recently announced in the ma
Of
S10.000,0o0 to the Smithsonian's en-
dowment.'
DR.. Walcott said It had been decid-
ed TO go directly before the American
people with an appeal for assistance
for the institution that stands as the
pioneer in American research. A gen
eral committee and regional commit
tees Will be appointed to raise the
fund throughout the country, DIR. Wal
colt said. appealing chiefly to those in
terested in scientific research.
Referring to the National Geological
Park, DIR. Walcott said that II had
again exceeded all attendance records,
251s,265 persons having visited it
during the closing year Although q
number of older animals died. some
gifts We're received, including a young
chimpanzee from Victor I. Evans.
Resides a giraffe and pigmy hippopota-
mus, Ut. "diCotI SdlN- the zoo ldItlllN
should he enlarged by a rhinocerous
and Indian elephant, too.
No less than $50 900 new specimens
were received by the National Mu-
scum, section of the Smithsonian In
stitution, during the year. DR.. Wal
colt classed among the most inter
esting a series of slabs from the Grand
Canyon, containing a splendid series
of fossil footprints, and authentic
casts of certain OF the famous finds
of primitive man, including Pithecan-
thropus Erectus.
Need Art Building.
DR.. Welcott again called attention
70 the need for a suitable building to
house the National Gallery Of Art,
now crowded in the National Museum.
Art works received during the year
totaled a value of 500. 900, ne said
hut 1t is estimated that We're a suita BILE
building availab the annual value Of
gifts and requests would reach 81 .oo0-
000 Congress has already provided
ground for the proposed gallery, and
were the building funds made avail
able the structure could be started in
six months.
In the field Of scientific research
the institution extended its studies
through many lands, including the
Canadian Rockies, China. Panama,
Costa Rica, South Africa. Java, Haiti
and many parts of North America. Re
searches carried on by the astro-
physical laboratory resulted In impor-
tant achievements. Experimental
weather forecasts, based solely on the
variations Of solar radiation, 1t was
stated, have certainly indicated a
daft mite vision