The Washington herald., 1920-04-05

the main these are works written
by foreign visitors to the United
States, seeing us through French
or other European spectacles. Thus
there Is q double distortion, and
for the Investigator bent upon
adopting our practical achievements
in his own country a distance GER
tain to defeat his efforts. The time
element enters into Ii also, for
matters in which we are making
progress may not be reported from
Europe for years, or be overlooked
altogether.
Very few American books are
sold -, the southern continent, be-
ca r publishers have not es-
tai outlets or connections.
Eaci. .arge city has its English
bookstore. usually. but the stock in
trade is chiefly British fiction. with
some American best sellers" and
scarcely a five-foot shelf Of soldier
works. either British or American.
The most enterprising publishers
are those in the United States is
suing technical handbooks dealing
with machinery. electricity. power,
chemistry and like practical sub
tects. They seem to have worked
out a scheme of distribution that
lands their books where they are
wanted, and other publishers in the
United States and England ought
to fnd out how they do it.
Senior Cruz has a plan for break
ing down the Chinese wall around
the different countries. and also the
two continents. He suggests that
the National Library in each coun-
try. including the United States,
establish a bureau of Pan Ameri-
can photographic information. cata-
loguing its own data on economies.
political organization, science, his
tory and literature, following a
standard system. This information
would then be exchanged by all the
countries. and distributed through
thelr universities, government de-
partments. authors. editors or who
ever might want it in his work.
Special information would also be
furnished to Investigators of special
subjects. so that a Chilean inter-
ested in American educational
methods. or Central American
music: or Brazilian livestock i'm
proVement could be put in touch
with the latest information.
the National Libraries can also
establish an international commerce
IN books, receiving volumes of gen.
eral interest from publishers in
other countries, placing them in
bookstores, and collecting the
money when sold. The volumes
would have to be sent on approval
OF course, and unsold books taken
back by the publishers, but after a
time experience would unquestion-
ably show which books aroused in
terest In other countries, and the
mere accessibility of the books
would encourage their sale.
Campaign should BE Made.
From our standpoint, there is
every reason to make representative
American books available on some
such plan because Latin America
has new interest in us since the
war, and thousands of young people
are learning English. In the Ameri-
can department of the Chilean L.
orary there are forty to fifty readers
daily consulting our books on edu-
catlonal, economic, technical, legal
ana other subjects. When the library
moves into Its magnificent new
building, about year hence, the
NORTH American books will be given
a specially convenient arrangement,
and the Chilean Government expects
10 have the director of the Carnegie
institution down to Santiago for a
little celebration.
Chile Is especially active in mat
ters OF authorship and literature.
Her writer's pay a great deal of at
tention to history and the Chilean
Historical Society has 600 members,
a surprising number for so small a
country.
Another surprising fact is that
Chile has Spanish language of her
own and a Chilean academy to deal
with its grammar. This academy is
appointed by the Spanish Royal
Academy, which lays down rules OF
grammar for the mother tongue, but
Is not so arbitrary as the institution
In Spain. Years ago Chile benefited
by two scholars who climbed over
the Chinese walls-Andres Bello,
Venezuelan, and Domingo Sarmi-
ento. from Argentina. They gave
Chilean literature and education a
wonderful stimulus, and among
other things dealt with Chilean
grammar. Deciding that the ten
dency in all languages is toward
simplification and phonetics, they
introduced some simplified spelling
for Chilean use, substituting 'i'' for
''y" and "j'' for e" In certain words.
The word land" is indicated by 81"
instead of '.y" in much Chilean writ
ing. and Spanish words like gen
eraf' are spelled "jeneral." This is
the Chilean official language, used
in documents and government pub
locations. but in recent wears there
has been q tendency back to the