Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 2, 1878
No. 116.
Mr. Noyes
to Mr. Evarts.
Paris, April 26, 1878. (Received May 9.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a report of the recent meeting of the commission of international exchanges by Dr. William E. Johnston, representing the United States; a paper which I am sure you will find of much interest.
I have, &c.,
Dr. Johnston to Mr. Evarts.
Sir: In the summer of 1875 a geographical congress, composed of several hundred delegates from all parts of the world, was held at Paris, and in connection with it an exhibition of objects relating to geographical science.
Great surprise was manifested by the delegates to this congress at the advancement each nation had made, more or less unknown to the others, in the various arts pertaining to the study of geography, and out of this surprise grew a desire for the inauguration of a general system of international exchanges of works of science.
The idea, for the few most advanced nations, was not a new one; but the occasion of the meeting of so many men of different nationalities, occupied with matters of science, was deemed an auspicious one for the organization of a scheme of free exchanges; and in conformity to a generally expressed wish to that effect, the minister of public instruction and worship of France called a meeting of his ministry to organize the plan, and to solicit the official adhesion of the different governments thereto.
The delegates, selected by the minister of public instruction, were chosen from among the delegates to the geographical congress, and as the undersigned had the honor to represent the United States at that congress, through the recommendation of the New York Geographical Society, he was invited by the French minister to represent the United States also in the preliminary meetings of the congress for international exchanges of works of science.
The meetings of the delegates, which took place in the council chamber of the ministry of public instruction, were presided over, by delegation of the minister, by the Baron de Vatteville, under secretary and director of the Bureau of Sciences and Letters, upon the technicality that, so long as the meetings were preliminary, and until the different governments had given in their adhesion, it would not be appropriate for the minister to preside in person, but that, when the work of preparing the plan had been completed and had become a law by the official acceptation of the different governments, then the preliminary delegates with their president were to disappear to give place to the minister and to the diplomatic representatives of the governments adhering; In other words, the scheme, when it became a law, was necessarily to pass from unofficial into official hands.
When the plan (which is here inclosed) was agreed upon, the undersigned sent a copy thereof to your predecessor the Hon. Mr. Fish, with a letter setting forth the preceding facts, and urging him, in the name of the congress, if not deemed incompatible with the habits of his government, to give in his adhesion to the scheme.
[Page 174]To this demand Mr. Fish replied as follows:
“Department of
State,
“Washington, May 16,
1876.
“Dr. W. E. Johnston, Paris.
“Sir: Your letter of the 15th of March relative to the establishment by this government of an office for the exchange of scientific publications with foreign governments has been received with its inclosures.
“In reply, I have to inform you that, the subject having been submitted to Prof. Joseph Henry, president of the National Academy of Sciences and secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, information has been received from him that for upwards of a quarter of a century the Smithsonian Institution has superintended the exchange of publications of the learned societies of the United States with those of Canada, South America, and of the Old World. This system has been so enlarged that it now embraces almost every part of the civilized world. Fifty copies of all public documents are also sent to the Smithsonian Institution for exchange with the official publications of foreign governments.
“Professor Henry further says that in view of these facts he considers it improbable that this government would establish a special bureau for co-operation in the plan proposed by the congress of geographical science. He says, however, in behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, that it will cheerfully co-operate with the system proposed as soon as it has succeeded in establishing its organization.
“I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
“HAMILTON FISH.”
This reply, which had been anticipated by the undersigned, on account of the well-known situation and operations of the Smithsonian Institution, and had already been announced by him to his colleagues of the congress as the probable reply of the Secretary of State, was nevertheless regarded and accepted as an adhesion on the part of the Government of the United States, or at least as a sufficient adhesion to justify placing the name among the list of adherents, it being understood, however, that the Smithsonian Institution was to do the work in its own way and under its own responsibility.
Now, as all the other adhering governments intend to perform their work of exchanges In a special bureau, within one of the ministerial buildings, and at the expense of the government, thus constituting it a purely official operation, the performance of the work by the Smithsonian Institution forms an exception, and brings up the quesion whether the diplomatic representative of the United States at Paris is hereafter to take direction of the scheme or not. It may almost be a useless question, in this sense, that the operation of exchanges once organized, the different bureaus will conduct their operations so completely within themselves as not to demand outside protection or aid of any kind.
But adhesions enough have come in, all the nations having signed or promised to sign, but England and Germany, to warrant the French Government in assuming the official direction of the affair, and a few days ago, for the first time, the letters of convocation to a meeting were addressed to the diplomatic corps, instead of to the former delegates, as follows:
“Ministry of Public
Instruction, of Worship, and of Fine Arts,
“Direction of Sciences and
Letters,
“Commission of
International Exchanges,
“Paris,
April 14, 1878.
“Sir: The French commission of international exchanges will meet at the ministry of public instruction on Tuesday, the 16th of April, at four o’clock, under the presidency of the minister.
“I have the honor to beg you to attend this meeting or to send a representative.
“Accept the assurances of my respectful consideration.
“CHARMES,
“Chief of Cabinet to
the Minister of Public Instruction, Secretary to the French
Commission of International Exchanges.
“General Noyes,
“Minister Plenipotentiary, &c., &c.”
At this meeting, which was attended by about thirty delegates, composed of foreign ministers, first secretaries of legation, and delegates from the French ministries, M. Bardoux, minister of public instruction, presided, and made an address complimenting and welcoming the states which had adhered to the scheme, predicting for it an immense held of usefulness, and announcing that other meetings, under his presidency, would be held as long as the two or three principal governments which had not adhered still held aloof, and until all the points in regard to the operating of the system had been settled.
[Page 175]At the request of his excellency-the American-minister at Paris, the undersigned attended this last meeting, presided over by M. Bardoux, and signed his name, as heretofore, on the feuille de presence, as delegate from the United States; but was he right in thus signing his name, and will not your excellency kindly decide whether the time has not come for the American minister at Paris to assume the direction of what is now considered an official transaction?
I have the honor to be, with the highest sentiments of esteem, your excellency’s obedient servant.
His Excellency William M. Evarts,
Secretary of State.