Evening star., 1926-10-23
CENTURY OF PROGRESS PAVE,S
WAY TO GREATER SMITHSONIAN
DEVELOPMENT of Worlds Most Wonderful
Clearing House of Facts" Into Per-
manent Exposition Urged.

and hydrogen as basic for the atomic
weights of all chemical elements. 1t
was the Smithsonian which subsidized
Schumann, a German living in Ham
burg, in the classic experiments by
which ultraviolet rays We're brought
into the service . of medicine and
science. 1t was the work of a Smith
sonian scientist during the Worlo
War which made available to the
Navy the quartz essential to the in
struments used in the detection of the
submarine. The fundamental re-
search work of the Smithsonian in
botany has been basic in the Depart
ment of Agriculture in protecting and
Improving farming. fighting and de-
stroying damaging insects and bac'
teria mans worst enemies.
DIR. WalcOtt Carries On Work.
The fourth and present secretary
DR.. Charles Walcott, has distinguish
ed himself in carrying on the work of
the institution. The assembling and
classifying Of objects and specimens
resurrecting large extinct animals of
our continent from dry bones, all but
putting life into them, and the thou
sands of exhibits of various kinds In
our National Museums, should appeal
10 any OHc-d SCI WIG, (lAO
importance Of which from an educa-
tional standpoint it would be hard to
estimate.
Our museums as l see it, are an i'm
portant step toward a permanent eX-
position at our National Capital, and
l suggest. If / may. for the considera-
ton Of DR.. Walcott and his associates,
in addition to what we already have,
permanent exposition. interstate, ma
tional and international, of an indus
trial, commercial, educational, welfare
and social character, not only for the
edification and qualification of those
who live in or visit Washington, but
that a knowledge and impression of
things exhibited and facts determined
be carried, by available means, to all
the people in primary public schools
and community centers that bear their
proportional part of the financial
burden.
Greater Smithsonian Urged.
To enumerate all the types of serv-
ice which the Smithsonian Institution
has rendered, is rendering. or may
render directly and comparatively,
for the increase and diffusion of
knowledge among men," would call
for rather long article. Suffice it to
say, III CONCLUSION, IIldC important ana
great as the service rendered is, it is
mere nucleus in the field of oppor-
tunity. and we need "a Greater
Smithsonian Institution" with a big
ger endowment.
If each primary public school dis
trict in the United States was organ
lied into "unit," and each individual
in each unit" of school age and over
would contribute a fee of one dollar
and an annual due of % cents, that
would give us in round figures $780,
100000 to start with. enough to de-
velop permanent exposition at our
National Capital. and $25 100000 an
nually, which should go long way, If
used wisely and economically without
rake-off. in carrying a knowledge and
impression of things exhibited and
facts determined to all the people in
primary public schools and community
centers that bear their proportional
part of the financial burden.
What the people need is not charity,
but opportunity, cooperative service
and justice.