Evening star., 1935-11-03
Archivist
Continued From Fifth Page.)

claims. In international discussions
or disputes they are the principal
source from which may be drawn
arguments to support the contentious
of the Government. On them are
based the titles Of millions of acres
of land and to thousands of patent
rights. The actual money loss, to
say nothing of the inconvenience.
that would result to the Government
and to citizens as well. by the de-
struction Of any considerable part Of
the Federal archives. can hardly be
calculated"
In the second place, archives con-
stitute the foremost Of all sources of
the Nations history. but what con-
fronts the scholar wishing to make
use of them? Mr.. Leland says:
This situation frequently has been
described and nowhere more ac-
curately nor in more vigorous terms
than in official reports Those records
no longer needed in the transaction
of current business have, naturally
enough, been considered an incum-
brance, and if they could not be de-
stroyed as useless papers they have
been stored wherever space could be
found. Thus they are in cellars, and
subcellars, and under terraces, in at
tics and over porticos, in corridors
and closed-up doorways, piled in
heaps upon the floor, or crowded into
alcoves; this If they are not farmed
out and stored in such rented struc-
lures as abandoned car barns, storage
warehouses, deserted theaters or an
cient and even more humble edifices
that should long ago have served their
last useful purpose. Nor do the rec
ords in current use fare much better.
little nearer the clerks who must con-
suit them, but the line of demarcation
between the current and uncurrent
records is not sharp one and the for
mer are gradually absorbed into the
mass of the latter.
"Is it any wonder" Mr.. Connor OBJ
served, that Mr.. Leland said that in
his close association with American
scholars during a long residence in
Washington he could recall not more
than a score who used our archives
during the first decade Of this CEN
tury, and it is small wonder American
historians, confronted with conditions
that have prevailed here, have been
more inclined to carry on their in
vestigations in London, Paris or The
Hague than to encounter the hard
ships they must endure in Washing
ton"
0F ALL the sources of worthy an
cient records in Washington, the
White House, oddly enough, Is ex-
pected to yield but little to the great
collection of papers soon to find their
last home in the Archives Building.
It would seem, of hand, that the resi-
dence of the Presidents would contain
papers Of incalculable Importance on
historic episodes in the Nations his
tory. But all Presidents have made a
point Of removing their files with
them upon returning to private life.
A survey several years ago revealed
that only five boxes of letters written
by President Grant were to be found
and few of these had any historical
significance.
In contrast, from directly across the
street from the White House will 60
to the National Archives some Of the
most drama-filled documents. The
State Department is mine of papers
relating to Notwithstanding interna-
tional events, and to these viii be
added chapters now reposing In en-
bassies, legations and consulates all
over the world. The War and Navy
Departments, and some other Federal
branches, also will contribute unac-
countable romantic material for the
eyes Of historians already lusting for
the days when the doors Of the Ar
chives are to swing open for them.
w. S. O.