Evening star., 1919-04-17
USE Of FILMS FREE
TOEDUCATE PUBLIC
Department of Interior Dis.
fributing Views Relating to
the War Period.
EACH STATE TO SHARE

Elaborate plans have been prepared
by the Department of the Interior to
distribute throughout the country. for
use In universities. colleges. schools
and community centers. millions OF
feet of movie films of a war and an
educational nature
Distribution will be through the
visual section Of the division Of ex-
tension education of the department.
The films will deal with war work.
both at home and abroad. They VIII
show how Americans at home kept
the boys over there supplied with
There will be views of shipyards and
the manufacture" of fabricated
ships Others deal with overseas
work. Most of the films were taken
by the War Department, through its
Signal Corps. for propaganda and for
have been seen by the public. having
been released by the committee on
public information, but the srsater
number of films have yet to be shown.
Distributing Point in Each State.
The Department of the Interior has
arranged that there be a distributing
point in every state. In university
states the distributing point will be
the institution best fitted by geographi-
cal location to handle the films eff
ciently.
Besides the educational institutions all
organizations engaged in public service
may have the privilege of using the edu-
cational films and slides, which will be
furnished free. Where entertainments
are given and the proceeds are handled
by the board of education there is to be
no tax. In cases where the proceeds
from entertainments are for school
fund or the municipal treasury, no tax
charge is required. Relief from pay
ing tax also Is allowed II the proceeds
are for philanthropic or charitable pur-
poses.
The department has sent out $4,000
announcements to educational institu-
tions throughout the country con-
cerning the new educational cam
paign. With each announcement is a
QUESTIONABLE to be filled out in which
questions pertinent to the movement
are asked. The idea of the question
naire is to obtain suggestions where
by motion protector machines may be
supplied if schools replying have
of hall accommodations. seating
capacity Of such halls. etc.
Half Billion Feet of Films.
It was stated at the department to-
day that there has been distributed
in the campaign Of education a half
billion feet of films in several states.
including California. Indiana. Utah
and Michigan. Large numbers of re-
quests for films and numerous in
Quiries have been received by the de-
partment as the result of the an
nouncements and Questionnaires.
: To systematic the distribution
eat f1A 10
: Der of applications have been re-
ceived will receive set Of the Aims
IN series. Each set will be run off
anywhere from so to 500 times. In
most cases, it il held, when the films
have covered the committees in a
state they will by that time have been
useless.
This system Of distribution. it is
pointed out. will give all of the
states a chance to see the films at
practically the same time.
: 1t is contended by the department
portant factor in education in the fu-
ture and that the campaign being
carried out will play a great part in
teaching the public of what America
did in the war. In a short time, by
the use of the films, 1t will be possi-
about America than the volumes of
books written on the subject.
: Cost the q. s. Millions.
The United States government has
spent millions of dollars during the
war in making motion pictures. They
cover every achievement that leads to
victory. Millions Of people in the
country will be given an opportunity
emergency Of war and made possible
the downfall of the Hun