Evening star., 1927-02-25
NEW WASHINGTON
HISTORY PLANNED
Commission Will Conduct
Wide Study on Career of
First President.

George Washington's career and
character will receive during the next
i've years the most intensive study
ever devoted to a national hero.
Plans for this effort to make the
first President living, intimate figure
10 all the people of the United States
were formulated by the George Wash
lngton Bicentennial Commission at a
meeting Tuesday Immediately after
President Coolidge's address, and were
announced today by William Tyler
Page, clerk of the House and secre-
tary of the commission.
A project submitted by Prof. Albert
Bushnell Hart of Harvard University,
historian OF the commission, was
adopted. Prof. Hart was authorized
to start work.
1t is proposed first to make up a
comprehensive and authentic reading
list of WaShingtoniana for school, col
lege and public libraries. To make up
such a list Prof. Hart will communi-
cate at once with publishers in the
United States, Great Britain, Canada
and Australia. State Legislatures and
library associations will be urged to
cooperate by getting the collection of
books fi\lly decided upon before the
schools and the public.
Call Meeting Here.
The second proposal is for publica-
tion. In connection with this, a for
NAL invitation will be sent to the vari-
Gus State and other historical associa-
tionS to send delegates to a meeting in
Washington to be called in the near
future. At this meeting suggestions
for needed publications will be re-
ceived by Prof. Hart, who viii use
Them as a basis for a list which he
will submit to the commission for
final approval. 1t is expected that this
project will require the writing of five
or more volumes of biography, treat
ing various phases of WaShington's s
life. Competent historians and liter
airy men will be employed to write
these books. and the commission hopes
TO make arrangements with some of
larger publishing houses to meet the
expense of publication and compenSa-
tion for the authors.
The titles to be treated have not
definitely been determined. Among
them probably will be the following:
Washington as Boy" Washington
as a Pioneer" "Washington as a Sol
der Washington" as Statesman" J"
washington as a Husba ndman" and
"Was shington az a Business Man"
1t is proposed to have one or more
books. with carefully prepared maps.
concerning Washington, written from
he geographical standpoint. listing
the actual places visited by the first
President and his associations with
each of them. This probably will re-
suit in exploding some Washington
legends. the commission believes. The
Eastern States abound with inns
xs.1ors No hi in OF Client haAS ha silent
in, chairs he sat in, carriages he rode
in. and like relics. some of which are
authentic and some not.
Plan New Publications.
Books have been written. Mr.. Page
pointed out, which touch on all the
activities of Washington life. but the
commission wishes to treat various
periods and activities as entities, pre-.
senting all the data available in inter-
esting and authentic form. There has
been a great deal written. for example.
on Washington as boy, but no spe-
Cific volume of high standing is de-
voted to specific study of his boy
hood.
With the completion of the. geo.
graphical material, the commission
will take steps to have each srot aSso-
ciated with Washington marked in
some way, preferably at the expense
of local organizations. Some of these
local memorials may be Of consider
able magnitude. such as the proposed
Mount Vernon boulevard.
The commission seeks to act as the
inspirer of such efforts rather than
actually to perform the work. In the
same way. ii hopes to inspire essay
and oratorical contests for students,
although it does not seek TO direct
them.