MESSRS. J. T. JOHNSON, A. S. BURLESON, J. G. MCHENRY, J. W. BYRNS, F. H. GILLETT, AND E. L. TAYLOR, JR. IN CHARGE OF THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND Bb3 1914. b Copy 3 LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, HEARINGS CONDUCTED BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, MESSRS. J. T. JOHNSON, A. S. BURLESON, J. G. MCHENRY, J. W. BYRNS, F. H. GILLETT, AND E. L. TAYLOR, JR., OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN CHARGE OF THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE, AND JUDICIAL APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 1914, ON THE DAYS NAMED. WEDNESDAY, November 20, 1912. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. STATEMENT OF MR. HERBERT PUTNAM, LIBRARIAN. DIVISION OF SEMITIC AND ORIENTAL LITERATURE. Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, there is only one new item in my estimates as against the estimates of last year, and that is this new division of Semitic and oriental literature. Mr. JOHNSON. Please explain why you want that new division, Mr. Putnam. Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Chairman, every national library in the world, and practically every research library, includes in its field Semitic literature, just as it includes the classic literature of Greece and Rome, Sanscrit, etc. Now, I have felt during this past decade that I had no right to apply from our general appropriation moneys for the purchase of material in those fields to the necessary exclusion of material that was more constantly required by our more usual investigators. I had hoped that in such a field as Semitic literature we might get by gift from the outside the important material. A few months ago an opportunity came for such a gift, and we got it, a collection of Judaica. Of course, Semitica includes Arabic literature and various other literatures besides the Jewish. This was a collection of Jewish literature of some 10,000 volumes, excellent in itself and an admirable foundation for a great department. It was given to us by Mr. Schiff. I have no doubt whatever we can secure additonal material by gift, and even an endowment for the purchase of material, provided, of course, the Government, in its turn, does what would seem to such a donor its proper share, which is, besides accommodating the material, to provide proper administration for it; and I have tried in my estimates to outline what would seem reasonable for such a department. 43-43701 3 |