New-York tribune., 1919-11-29

Dear Sir: A considerable expert
ence with tho Chicago Public Library
has revealed certain idiosyncrasies Of
that institution which would seem to
merit the attention Of some book doc
tor. This applies particularly to the
presiding genius who has to do with
the determination Of what ia or is not
fit diet for public consumption in the
matter of literature. Certainly, if
the diet producing so-called literary
scurvy or beriheri in the library S
patrons, this genius is the etiologic
factor. On consulting the library's
card catalogue, one finds certain num-
bers bearing one star, or, in rare in
stances, two stars.
1.-TWO stars indicate that the book is
considered rare literature, so to speak,
and is confined in the library vault
so that it is impossible to obtain it
for circulation, or, frequently, even
to see it in the library without con-
sulting some one of the officials. A
single star seems to indicate that the
book is not in circulation, but fre-
quently it may be obtained in the read
ing room and there copsufted among
the hoi polloi, provided one likes the
atmosphere
Now it may be that the Judgment
OF the picker is very good even
though he forbids most of George
Nights Dreisers Genius some of
Schnitzler, practically all of Anatole
France and many others, and yet per-
mits on the open shelves Hopkins 8
How to Brew Beverages at Home But
the peculiar inconsistency which stim-
ulates this communication is the fact
that all of the foreign authors in the
list mentioned may be obtained in the
original language. Thus, Wedekind' 8
'Fruhlngs Erwachnung' may be OBJ
tanned in German for circulation, but
Frances The Revolt of the Angels
may be obtained in French. but is not
visible in English. Presumably, the
cause Of this action is: U) The for
eigners are already so polluted with
their own literature that they may not
be harmed by reading what would be
degrading to those who limit them
selves to English. (2) Any one capa-
BILE of reading these authors in the
can hurt him, anyway
"A recent reading of George Moore's
'Avowals' reveals a discussion of the
subject. which deserves a wider dis
tribution than limited publication Of
1850 copies, at So a copy can pos
sibly secure for it.
Perhaps you wall wish to introduce
it among your Saturday reviews.
"MORRIS FISHBEIN, NJ. D."
From George Moore's "Avowals, "
pages l23-126.
"BALDERSTON-You have men
toned that our public libraries con-
tain all modern and classical writer's
and yet remain unmolested by the
crusaders, and YOU know, Of course,
that these books in their original Ian
guages are invariably displayed open
ly on the shelves, together, perhaps,
with Bowdlerised English tran stations,
while complete English rcnderings are
kept in locked cases and doled out at
the discretion of the librarian to per-
sons thought qualified to read them.
If books ought not to be read in
English ought they to be read by per
sons Of superior education, when, as
Gibbon remarked in prefacing that
Greek footnote on the behaviour Of
the Empress Theodore, they are veiled
in the obscurity of a learned lam
guage ?"
"MOORE-The argument put for
ward by our crusaders is that IL
centious literature (I use the word IL
centious in it's literal sense) appeals to
the passions infames them and under
mines the health of the nation. If that
be so, why should these books be lent
to educated people and not to the un-
educated? Are we to assume, then
that education does away with the pas