New-York tribune., 1918-01-19
Publishers Lose
Heavily on Text
Books in German
Big Firms Forced to Sup.
press Many Editions Used
in the Schools
Business Cut in Half
Thousands of Dollars In
volved in Sharp Drop in
Study of Language

German propaganda, promulgated IN
college and high school text books
throughout this country, is playing a
heavy and destructive tattoo on the
publishing firms that issued the books.
The recent exposure of unrestrained
praise for the Kaiser and the German
army and all institutions Of Germany
printed in volumes widely circulated
Tor classroom use in schools has
man text books. The big school book
publishing companies are now, by ad
mission of their own officials, losing
thousands Of dollars through the sharp
drop in study Of German. None Of the
big text book Companies are able at
present to state exactly how much
their losses will total. but their cdi.
tors Of modern language series csti.
mate it at from 35 to 65 per cent on
their business in German language
books.
Loss Partly Offset
The editors agreed that the loss in
the German language book business was
but partly offset as yet by the increased
demand for French and Spanish texts.
Hundreds Of teachers of German either
have been dropped because they could
not muster classes, or have been trans
ferred to other departments. In New
York City alone the total number Of
pupils in German classes number 5000
less than last spring. There were 23.89S
pupils studying German in New York
high schools last May. Only 1871
pupils were registered for German Ian
guage courses last October
Nor are the losses in trade confinel
to the greatly reduced demand for Ger
man textbooks. Nearly all the big pub
fishing companies are scrapping thou
sands of volumes, no longer acceptable
in heir present form to boards of edu-
cation. teachers. parents and the youth
Of america. They are facing heavy
expenses in deletSng OBJ. ectonable pas
sages. reediting texts and republishinc
their books from the altered plates
The Henry Holt Company has volun-
tarily scrapped a whole edition of
"Pcter Moor's Journey to the South
west" by Gustav Frenssen the famou.
German novelist. whose "Jorn Uhl'
brought the author fame and fortune a
few years ago. "J0rn Uhl" was trans
lated into English, and proved one of
the best sellers" in this country short
ly before the war began.
Holt Overhauls List
The Henry Holt Company's foreign
textbook editors and authors are over
hauling their entire list of German
school books. making whatever changes
arc necessary and combng out German
propaganda material subtly injected by
the kaiser's tools in this country. Mr.
Mavity said that Professor Paul r.
Pope. OF Cornell University. author of
"Wliting and Speaking German" wide
~ used IN colleges and high schools, of
ms own voltion changed his book last
summer. Other school books now be-
!iE scrutinized. some of which will be
changed, are: "Essentals of German,
hy Professor B. J. Vos, of the Univer-
slty of Indiana; "Sprach und Lese-
buch.' By ". II. Gohdes, former head
of the modern language department. of
the Horace Mann High School, Man
haitian, and H. A. BuscheA, head of the
department OF German. Polytechnic
Preparatory School, Brooklyn.
W. .Havity estimates the loss in
trade OF German textbooks. caused h1,
the bitter feeling against Germany j.,
TINS country, about so per cent. This as
innate, he said was based on reports s
OF Holt agents after visiting COLLEGES
and high schools throughout tn =,
country.
Boston Firm Hard Hit
Allyn Bacon, of Boston. publish
ing house, is hard hit by the war. ac-
cording to reports in schoolbook circles.
Most OF the Allyn e. Bacon texts arc
written by Paul Valentine Bacon. and
many of them have the imperial dou-
ble-headed eagle embossed in gold on
the cover. One of Mr.. Bacon's books,
"Norwarts.' contains chauvinistic
poem by Julius Sturm, entitled "Mein
Naterland," the two last stanzas of
which may be roughly translated as
follows:
"My kaiser, hero, sits on the throne
among a multitude of heroes, his coat
OF arms emblazoned with the ever-vic-
tOrlOus eagle.
"Thereforc. when | am asked what
my country is, my heart burns with
pride, and | proudly shout to the uues-
toner: The German Empire"
Richard A. Metcalf, manager of the
Allyn & Bacon Office. here, said his
firm was not publishing any more Ger
man books.
D. c. Heath Co. estimated the
company's loss in dealings in German
textbooks at less than SO per cent.
DR.. +. c. Sievers, editor of the
company's modern language series, said
he and his assistants were carefully 60
ing over their books.
The Macmillan Company's foreign
Il : +Nll 1f
than two years on new Ger
man texts. the first series of which
was ready for publication when the
United States declared war There is
nothing objectionable in the text. but
the Macmillan Company does not look
fer heavv sales on its new books.
+. c. Hodgdon, of CHM g. Co., ad
mitted that changes were being made
N some texts. but refused to name
the books which had evoked criticism.
Dr. n1