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124 the realm of art and culture there is a more disjunctive approach. Some of this is reflected in our Smithsonian organization. In David Challinor's bailiwick, it sometimes seems easier to bring scientists together to think of common themes than it does to bring art directors or historians together in Charles Blitzer's. The art units, wherever they are, tend to think of their own programs and want to go their own way. It is difficult for an art museum director to get away from the central problem of exhibiting art to the public. At the same time it is easier for the science or history museum director to think of objects as serving many purposes. This kind of difference is something I hope we can rationalize and perhaps make less distinct over a period of time. Washington as an art center, of course, contains these same conditions. There are many individuals involved. Individuals take high priority in the art world. There are many types of museums and it is almost impossible to speak with one voice. As a result, we speak in many tongues. Whether or not this community issue can be resolved, I do not know. I would hope that the directors of art museums would gradually approach the thought that analysis of objects is important to the study of political history, civilization and cultural history, and develop ways to broaden the thematic base a little bit. As an example, at times I have urged the Director of the Freer to think of the Gallery as an institute of oriental culture, rather than an institute of oriental art, pure and simple. In this way, we could study the history of oriental art, which involves technology, metallurgy, and other factors, and make it significant to political evolution, or to the cultural evolution of people. The resultant studies of the diffusion and distribution of cultures, as analyzed from the art objects, could then be interpreted in ways which would be of great value to political and cultural historians. When we go to Congress, we ask for funds for things that we do, rather than ask support for things which need to be done. In this regard, the Smithsonian is almost unique. To a large extent, we go each year and ask for funds for specific projects