Evening star., 1923-08-11
The Library Table
BY THE BOOKLOvER

Washington is more and more be-
coming a research and educational
center. Not only Is the research
work OF the government steadily ex-
panding. but new agencies. privately
supported, are frequently being es-
tablished here. presumably because Of
easy access to libraries. laboratories
and other sources of information
afforded by the governmental estab-
lishment. Such organizations have
so multiplied In the past few years
that new ones take their places in
the Washington scene almost un-
noticed. Two such organizations
housed In a new building on the west
side of Jackson Square. are produc-
ing books that have attracted the at
tention of the Booklover. and which
should be of much interest to many
Washtngtonians. The older of these
Is the Institute for Government Re-
search, established about six years
ago. Just now It's investigators are
writing monographs describing ope-
rations of the various administrative
Already something like twenty-five
volumes have been published. Prob
ably there will be as many as forty
or fifty altogether. The Institute for
Government Research. Of which Dr.
w. F. Willoughby Is director. has also
published important volumes on the
budget. both federal and state, In
this country and in Canada and Eng
land. and also volumes of special in
terest to persons in the government
service such as principles of Gov
erning the Retirement of Public En-
ployes" by Lewis Merriam; principles
OF Public Personnel Administration" :"
by A. w. Proctor, and "The Federal
service; a Study of the System of
Public Personnel Administration" by
Lewis Mayors. Although these books
are not light reading. they are of the
highest authority in their field, which
Is the study of American government
particularly the federal government
The newer Of these two research
organizations Is the Institute of Eco
nomics. 1t has been organized little
more than year and has Just brought
out it's first publication. In opening
this book the first thing that struck
the Booklover's eye was the state
ment that the Institute of Economics
had been established by the Carnegie
Corporation. In view Of Andrew Car
negie's interest in peace and interna-
tional good will (shown by his found
ing of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace. his gift of the
Peace Palace at The Hague and of our
own Pan-American Union peace palace
and other gifts to the same purpose),
IL Is interesting to note that the first
pupilcatlon or this recent Carnegie en-
terprise. the Institute of Economics,
is also In the interest OF peace. The
hrst of series of investigations in
international economic reconstruc-
tion," II Is entitled "Germany's Capac-
ity TO Pay: Study of the Reparation
Probiem 1t is edited by DR.. Harold
U. Moulton. the director of the insti-
tute, and by c. f. MCGUIRE DR.. Moul-
ton in his preface states that NEARLY
everybody recognizes that there can
be no genuine settlement of the repa-
ration problem until those who are
responsible for its solution reach gem
eral agreement on the economic facts
and forces involved" He states that
the study made has been as thorough
and that its findings are as concIu-
siye as would be those of any COM
mission of business men and econo-
mists The purpose of the study has
oeen TO make as complete a dag
nosis as possible of Germany's eco
nomfc condition and of her ability to
continue making reparation payments
ana TO point out the bearing OF inter-
national trade conditions and COM
mercial policies upon any reparatton
settlement whatsoever" The conclu-
sion reached Is that at the present
time Germany can pay nothing The
authors state the following as their
Judgment: IF Germany is to pay in
the largest measure, her creditors
must squarely face the facts and give
her time in which to recover, If nos
slble, her international economic posi-
tion. If one believes that the dis
integration of the German industrial
system and the starvation of some
millions of German people will proe
mote the general welfare of the world
then he should welcome the Continued
curtailment Of both German import
ana German export trade"
x4
Among the forthcoming publica-
tions of the Institute of Economics in
the series of Investigations of inter-
national economic reconstruction. the
Following are promised: "Russia's
Ability to Meet Her Foreign Debts"
The French International Debt Sit
uation" and 'Italy's International
Economic Position" These ought to
throw further light on the vexed
problems of the world economic and
financial situation.
william McFee. novelist and essay-
ist, has had as many Jobs as he
has written books. and his iobs
furnish inspiration and subjects for
his books. Some of his expeditions
into the business of life include an
apprenticeship to an engineering firm
in Aldersgate, seven years in a Brit
ish merchantman's engine room cruis-
ing in the Mediterranean, many
years on United Fruit Company liners
in the tropics, four years in the near
east as a Royal Naval Reserve en-
gineer officer, and, more recently,
farming at Westport, Conn. His
latest adventure Is running a sea-
going book shop on board the Cum
ard-Anchor liner Tuscania, of which
his friend Capt. Bone, also an author.
is in command. The book shop was
Capt. Bones idea and he summoned
McFee from his Westport farm to take
charge Of II. The High Seas Book
on the promenade deck. 1t contains
many books about sea life, including
generous number by Conrad, McFee
and soa Capt. os3on;s,,, Bone; scoteh writer's are
md Ian Hay. Modern literature pre-
dominates in the shop, and a wide
selection of novels, essays and plays
Is to be found by Shaw, Christopher
Morley, Hergesheimer, Mencken,
Dresser. Sinclair Lewis and Masefield
X
Some early letters of Ernst
Haeckel, recently translated and pub
lished under the title THE Story of
the Development of a Youth" reveal
the interesting fact that the great