Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1880
No. 570.
Mr. Hay to Mr. Willamov.
Washington, July 13, 1880.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of May 31 ultimo, in which you inclosed a copy of the regulations governing the Russian commission for the international exchange of books, and to say in reply that a copy of your note and its inclosure having been transmitted to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, that officer has forwarded (in his communication of the 3d instant) a letter on the subject, addressed to you, which I have the pleasure to send to you herewith.
Accept, sir, &c.,
Prof. Baird to Mr. Willamov
Washington, D. C., July 3, 1880.
Sir: The Secretary of State of the United States has placed in my hands a copy of your letter to him of May 19, informing him that the Government of Russia has entered into the plan of an international exchange proposed at the convention of Paris of 1875, and that a commission of international exchange has been appointed for Russia, with headquarters in the Imperial Public Library, St. Petersburg, with Privy Councillor Bytchcow, as chief officer.
As Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution it gives me great pleasure to be informed of this action on the part of the Russian Government, especially as it is likely to facilitate very greatly the communication between our government and your own.
As the Smithsonian Institution has been designated by the Government of the United States as its agent for the prosecution of the system of international exchanges under the convention of Paris, it gives me great pleasure, as its Secretary, to welcome the Russian commission as a fellow-worker in a very important enterprise, and to assure you that everything will be done that is practicable in an exchange of official and private publications of countries so useful to both.
In illustration of the subject, I beg to inclose a copy of a letter on the inauguration by the Government of Italy, of a like enterprise, the same being addressed to Sir Castellani, president of the Italian commission of international exchanges.
I have, &c.
Secretary.
Prof. Baird to Señor Castellani
Washington, D. C., June 22, 1880.
Dear Sir: At present the exchanges between the Smithsonian Institution on the part of the United States, and the bureau of international exchanges of the ministry of public instruction of Paris, are being carried out to the entire satisfaction of both parties, and possibly a brief recapitulation of the arrangements entered into may be of interest to you.
The exchange is divided into two portions: first, that relating exclusively to the publications of the several governments, and, secondly, those of a miscellaneous nature, embracing those of learned societies, scientific men, &c.
1st. Under the first head the Institution has at its command a full series of all the official publications of the United States made during the past year, including whatever relates to legislation, finance, jurisprudence, statistics, history, geography, geology, and all other branches of knowledge, constituting a mass of about twelve to fifteen cubic feet each year.
One full set of all these publications is sent to the national library in Paris and a similar series is returned to the national library in Washington. A second set, more or less complete, is also placed in the hands of the French bureau to be subdivided to the various bureaus of the government, giving to each the portion most appropriate. These in return send us works for corresponding bureaus in Washington.
2d. The miscellaneous exchanges include the publications of learned societies of the United States, as also of State organizations for purposes of education, hygiene, history, agriculture, &c. Likewise such papers by specialists as they desire to send to their correspondents abroad, of which transmissions are made as often as the amount of material makes it necessary; to France about four times in a year, or oftener if required by any special exigency. A list of the addresses of the packages is prepared by us and sent to the agency in Paris. This, however, does not include the contents of the bundles, excepting in the case of donations by the Smithsonian Institution or the national library.
Boxes for containing these several packages are prepared of sufficient strength to permit their crossing the ocean alternately several times in succession. They are for the most part of the following dimensions: 18 by 18 by 36 inches = 6¾ cubic feet. The tops are screwed down to permit their ready removal without injury. Freight on these boxes is paid by the Institution to New York, or the shipping port; after that the entire expense of the ocean and inland freight to Paris is settled by the ministry of public instruction.
[Page 885]The returns for such exchanges, as also the publications of the government of bureaus, are administered by the French bureau in a similar manner, and freight on the boxes sent to the Smithsonian Institution is paid to Havre, or the nearest shipping port to Paris. The ocean freights to New York, and the inland freights from New York to Washington are borne by the Smithsonian Institution. In this way each party pays such portion of the expense as is most convenient, leaving nothing to be carried forward from one route to the other.
It will give us very great pleasure to enter into a similar relation with the bureau of which you are the head, delivering all the boxes we may have free of expense to New York and leaving you to pay the additional cost to Rome, you, on your part, paying the expenses to Genoa, or other point of departure, upon boxes sent to us, and we paying the ocean freight to New York and expenses to Washington.
We have heretofore used the agency of Mr. Hoepli, of Milan, in our exchanges with Italy, and work has been performed very satisfactorily to us. In accordance, however, with the treaty convention of Paris and the instructions of the American Department of State, we would prefer to enter directly into relations with yourself, as already explained.
The exchange of public documents with Italy is yet unsettled. On several occasions we have offered to make such exchanges, but it has not been acceded to. You will, therefore, oblige us by stating definitely whether you desire us to send on what we can of this character, and whether you will charge yourself with collecting as full a series of Italian state publications as you can now bring together. A single set of the works we have now on hand fills about twelve boxes of the size indicated above.
Should any of the bureas of the Italian Government desire any special publications from corresponding bureaus of the United States, it will give us great pleasure, on being notified, to endeavor to secure them. As soon as we hear from you we will take immediate action.
Very respectfully,
- SPENCER F. BAIRD,
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. - Signor C.
Castellani,
President Italian Commission International Exchanges,
Victor Emmanuel National Library, Rome, Italy.