Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-11
President Coolidge DELHI
crates With Other Members
of Establishment on Crux.
TAFT APPEALS FOR AID
OF NATION FOR SCIENCE
Gathering, First of Kind Since
1878, includes Dawes, Cabinet
and Men of Wealth.

the United States of world leadership
in fundamental scientific research
was initiated here today when many
of the highest minds of government,
science and industry conferred on "the
future of the Smithsonian Institution -
Faced with crisis in it's distin-
Suished career because of insufficient
funds with which to pursue to the
fullest extent it's original policy of
increasing and diffusing knowledge.
the entire membership OF the Smith
sonian establishment, including Presi-
dnt Coolidge, Vice President Dawes.
the Cabinet and Chief Justice Taft met
at the institution to consider means
for obtaining the support of the
Nation
The meeting, which was participated
in also by some so leaders of scienti-
fic, political and industrial life of the
country, and which was presided over
by Chief Justice Taft, chancellor of
the Smithsonian, was the first of it's
kind held since 1873. 1t was arranged
by DIR. Charles ID. Walcott, secretary
of the Institution. some weeks before
his death Wednesday, and the ses-
sions, concluding with a luncheon,
went forward as scheduled in defer
ence to his death-bed request.
Need Is Great.
1.-The Smithsonian has now come to
time" Chancellor Taft declared in
his opening address. when without
the support of the Nation it can no
longer continue to be what Joseph
Henry, its first secretary, made It,
Yet the need for such an institu-
tion as it has been is no less than the
need was so years ago. In some re
spects the unique opportunities are
even greater.
The regents have felt it their duty
to reveal to leading group of repre-
sentative American citizens what it is.
and does, and to advise with them
what its future shah be. They wish
YOU to see the broad and >eomprehen-
sive scope of the institution, compef-
ing or interfering with nobody. CO.
operating with all, reaching the base
problems of mankind and of the time,
with view to furnishing the informa-
tion through which alone they can be
solved.
They wish you to see what the
future possibilities of the institution
are, and, If you think them worthy of
realization, to advise us as to how
we may go about achieving it,
w Cdttu Is hcpTeSe0teu.
The conferees, who included a num-
ber of the cOuntry's most wealthy and
influential citizens, heard Acting Sec
retary Charles G.. Abbot outline the
vast possibilities for service to man
kind which lie before the institution.
and which, under present conditions
cannot be achieved.
Millions of specimens i'm geology.
zoology. botany and anthropology
ARE piled up under the Smithsonians
directfon-unexamin unclassified
undescribed and so, useless" DR..
Abbot declared. These collections,
he said, in many cases have. no
counterpart in the world and no con-
tribution which the Smithsonian
could make to science would be less
picturesque nor more valuable" than
the study of these collections.
Encroachments of civilization are
obliterating forever the remains of
Indian civilization in America, and
the same is true of the animal and
plant life of the world, DIR. Abbot
stated.
Opportunity Is FIeeting.
The next so years will offer the
last opportunities to secure many
forms OF nature TO preserve for the
information and study of future gem
erations," he advised the conference.
1t is serious responsibility 10
neglect our fieeting opportunities"
Among the fields of investigation
in the physical sciences which DIR.
Abbot said the Smithsonian was par
ticularly fitted to do effective work
is the development of new mathe-
matiCal formulae and the collection
and ntIhlinnf nf h,rf
tered formulae for engineers and
physicists.
IN solar radiation, field in which
the Smithsonian is the world au-
thority, DR.. Abbot presented four i'm
portant problems which, he said, the
institution is best fitted to solve
First, which solar rays are best for
human health and growth and at
what intensity; second. what rays
and at what intensity promote
growth and reproduction of the great
food and otherwise commercially
valuable plants, and whether useful
notifications of these plants are pos
sible by the regulation of radiation;
third. whether or not solar rays can
be used directly for power; and.
fourth, whether or not studies of
solar variation can foretell good and
bad weather conditions.
Purpose OF Conference.
The purpose. in detail, of the con-
ference, according to the official an
nouncement, was Ito reveal the exact
nature of the Smithsonian's activities
in the increase and diffusion of
knowledge, the strength of it's posi-
tion as a private institution under
the guardianship of the Government,
its prestige as the parent of Ameri-
can science and, finally, its possibili-
ties as the inspirer and co-ordinator
of basic scientific investigation in
this country"
The program included inspection
by the visitors of carefully arranged
exhibit of the researches and publi-
cations now being sponsored by the
and of their possible
expansion.
In beginning his address, Chancellor
Taft said that the conference had been
called ito discuss the future of an
institution which was given to this
country by a native and resident of
another; an institution which enjoys
the protection of the United States
and is yet private or
ganization; an institution which In
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