Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-24
Complete Letter Writer
President as Instructor
Congressional Literature
Why Keep Best Sellers?
Books and "FrOnt"
Th0se Read and THrOlDn An
Those Read and ThrOIUn Apay

to him.
They might have written to him some
thing like this my dear Mr.. President
1t was a long time since we had heard from
you when we received your charming letter
of the other day. 1t took us back to those
delightful and never to be forgotten days at
Paris when you would send at intervals for
your George Washington to Brest, but would
always find it impossible to tear yourself
away We are sorry to hear of your i'll
health and of your troubles with your Sen
ate. We all know what that means. Our
mutual friend Nitti was threatened with
trouble with his Senate. So we felt compelled
to do a little something for him. He held
a couple Of notes of ours in the shape OF
treaties and we offered him little on ac-
count Don't think we were moved by any
desire to ignore you. Oh, dear, no, Mr..
Wilson! When it comes to settling we shall
never ignore you. And in this case, why If
Won insist, Mr.. Nitti is waiting just outside
with his fountain pen ready to sign the re-
cept. And how is your old Uncle Jim! And
how is the dear Colonel House! with as
surances of our lasting affection. Lloyd
George and Clemenceau."
g q
THERE are some who cannot see the
i amenity of the presidential style In cor
respondence
For instance. Europe took the President 5
letter. the one before the last, for an ul-
matum.
Mr., Lansing probably thought it was an
ultimatum when he got letter which read
something like this: MY dear Mr. S"cre'
tary-You're fired But remember that my
love goes with you to the end of your days.
How is your old Uncle Jlm' "oodro"
wilson
pnt II waSn't an ultimatum.
To regard 1t so was much too sweeping a
view.
Probably an Irish Democratic congressman
was nearer the right idea when he said. II
admire the President more than ever since
[ read his letters to Mr.. Lansing.
why" he was asked.
well, do you know, think the President
meant to be nasty and he was nasty. And
when a man wants to be nasty I admire him
for succeeding in being nasty. They were
the blankedest nastiest letters / ever saw"
Only the Irish congressman didn't say
nasty" but used a word too pungcnt to be
printed here.
,The difference between being and
writing an ultimatum - WE'LL it is real
difference.
THERE is a congressman from n border
L state who knows well the weakness Of
the American attitude toward books.
He found among his perquistes a lot Of
old government reports which his predeCes-
sors had found no use for.
Now every darky in his district is re-
ceiying book from his congressman.
Sambo opens his package bearing the frank
and finds as evidence of how his congress.
man always bears him in mind a copy of the
Interstate Commerce Commission Report
1897" or Report of the War Department
1873"
But books is books"
q q q
AND it is just because "books is books
n that we fill our shelves full OF best sellers
Having paid $l.75 or 50 for the latest bit
of fiction that people are talking about, we
cannot bring ourselves to throw it away
Besides, it has gilt letters on the back, has
the general shape Of literature, wears jacket
like literature
And, yes-and who knows but it may turn
out to be literature?
q
INTO our attitude toward books, as into
that of the border congressman con-
| stituents, there enters large element of un
certainty. As in so many other things, we
are not sure of ourselves.
4 book is n book.
Besides, a book is furniture
We use 1t to fortify our social position.
Even the most temporary thing from the