Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-30

there was absolutely no room on the
walls Of the National Art Gallery for
more pictures. Since 1920, that income
OF half a million dollars a year has
practically ceased. In the eight years
since 1920 the amount Of loss exceeds
$4,000, 000--a sum which would 60 far
toward the subStantiation of Secretary
Abbot's dream of enlargement. There
Is that withholdeth more than is meet;
but 1t tendeth to poverty"
Maybe DIR. Abbot ''Iet the cat out of
the bag" prematurely when he was
talking to q party of engineers, last
week, and showing them the TANNED
condition of every part of the museum.
they saw the Lindbergh Spirit of st.
LOUIS strung up on cables, for there
was no room otherwise. They knew that
the Baltimore 81 Ohio Railroad Co.
mad offered to give its entire exhibit of
locomotives from the first invention I'D
10 the latest, shown last Fall In Balti-
more, but the Government could not
accept 1t, for lack of room. And IRE
SiStioly came the confession that the
Natonal Engineering Society was de-
termined to bring pressure on Congress
Ior an appropriation sufficient to erect
new building in keeping with the
granite New Museum" OF 1912. but
immensely bigger. In fact, it is pro-
posed to erect a museum. In line
Win Freer Gallery. which win extend
four blocks, from Seventh to Eleventh
streets, back OF the original Smithsonian
Buildlng: The ugly building erected in
1873 VIII be demolished, to make room
LOT the new. Since the City Planning
commission intends to open Ninth
thFnYnh hn
Ing will either span the street. WITH An
arch, or will be divided into two build
ings-one for exhibiting the general
evolution OF transportation, costing
approximately $500, 600. and the Other
lot general industries. costing $4,000. 600.
u
The proposed expansion will make
the Smithsonian Institution the great
est museum in the world The show
part, however, is the least important
Phase or any museum The most nom
ular features Of the Smithsonian MiI-
scum are of comparatively little i'm
portance to science. They are the
dresses and millinery of wives of all
the presidents OF the United States
showing the evolutions of style covering
century and q third. All women
seek That show first. Then there Is the
Roosevelt collection of stuffed ami
mas, which he shot In Africa. Lately.
the Lindbergh Spirit of st. Louis has
attracted paramount attention.
while recreation and amusement of
the general public are desirable. the
real junction OF museum Is as a work.
snop Tor scientific research. In the
showrooms there may be seen Just one
specimen or certain species OF bird
OF animal; upstairs In the research
rooms, there are a thousand species of
the same genera, and scientists devote
all their time To the comparisons of
species. the searching for new species.
etc. And this Is not merely highbrow
erudition that they seek: 1t Is of practi-
cal everyday value, Many scientific
books are published annually. but every
one must contain new scientific facts.
snort time ago new insect pest
infested fruit trees in New England.
The Department of Agriculture had no
means or knowing how to combat Il
until its "fingerprints," as 1t were,
could be traced and identified among
the classified species in the Smithso-
Mon Institution. In the world there
are more than 100000 species of in
sects OF which only 60O,O 900 have been
identified and classified Scientists are
adding TO this 100000 known insects
about 5000 year. That work and
similar research work In various
branches of science are done In the
research rooms upstairs, OF which the
public knows very little. but which Is
the main object of the museums.
u "
1t is recorded that the ancients knew
nothing of the modern idea of mu-
seums. although Alexander the Great
gave vast sums To Aristotle and sum
piled him with thousands of men To
seek out curious birds and animals and
relics all over the known world. These
were exhibited solely as euriosities.
Until the seventeenth century the old
museums were Allied with meaningless
brie.a-brac. Now they are superseded
by the modern scientific collections.
Even IS late Is 1910 most of the treas
ffrAa ~ art WfRe nyunaA ne r1riVatA eel.