Evening star., 1922-01-18
WOMEN T0D|SCUSS
BUREAU
Pen League Committee viii
Take Up Sale Of Papers.
Edwards Statement.

A special meeting of the uational
executive committee. Of the League Of
American Pen Women will be called
Du Puy. national president. to discuss
the proposal that the organization
investigate the business of the
Columbian Information Bureau, OF
which Daniel A. Edwards, former
president of the Board Of Education,
is secretary.
An investigation of the bureau to
determine whether it's business is
ethical was proposed at a special
meeting of the national executive
committee last week. but action was
deferred.
Mr.. Edwards' Statement.
Mr. Edwards issued a statement
today for the purpose of correcting
any erroneous impressions that may
be in the mind Of the public about
the nature Of one line of business"
with which he is connected. The
statement reads:
"A few facts regarding my resigna-
ton from the board of education
should in justice to me be made
known. and l therefore ask that you
Il have been informed that the
Judges Of the Supreme Court had been
toid that the Columbian Information
bureau. with which / am connected,
cfrcularized the children of Washing
ION 10 sell them papers with which
20 cheat their teachers. II this were
true. then my resignation was the
proper thing. l did not know that
the criticism of me offered at the
nearing on the District appropriation
PHI was under consideration by the
yuoses until 1 received the request to
when I explained to one OF them
that OF the $4,000 catalogues sent out
last fall the only ones sent in this
Guy were to the superintendent and
!ne principals of high schools, and
mat during all the years we have
beenin business. to the best Of nv
knowledge. we have never sold n
paper to a grade or high school pupil
IN the city. he said that if this had
peen known the case would have
looked different.
Library Facilities.
AS matter of fact. we have no
trade for school papers in any city
where they. have good libraries. We
sen more papers in the average town
OF 5000 people than we do in the city
OF New York. If these papers were
bought for cheating purposes, as
,h ,hharsed. they would go mostly to
the large centers of population.
where they have plenty of money to
pay for them. They are bourht
where tho library facilities are poor.
II we have 3,50O.000 volumes In the
library of Congress and a small town
mas but 1000 volumes in its library,
then We have $500 times as much
opportunity to get help from books
as tne residents of that small town.
Ihat is why We are in business, and
that Is why thousands Of people in
all walks of life are thankful that
we are.
practically all of our school trade
comes from superintendents, prin-
cipals and teachers of the smaller
class Of cities and towns. and we do
not feel called upon to be their
guardians. We have written but
seven eighth grade papers and they
were all written on the orders OF
teachers in different parts OF the
country.
More than three -fourths Of all the
papers we have, written are on mis-
cellaneous subjects and for persons
who are in no way connected with
schools or colleges. The work has
no relation whatever to the schools
of fsWashington.
Il write this to correct any err
roneous Impressions that may be In
the public mind about the nature OF
one line Of business with which am
connected.
closed incident"