Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-12
BY DONALD 4. CRAIG.

EUULH anniversary VI Ilkc
birth in the year 1882. They are the
Mount Vernon Boulevard, from the
Virginia end of the new Arlington
Memorial Bridge to Mount Vernon; the
restoration of Wakefield, birthplace OF
washington, and the publication by the
Government, in at least 25 volumes, of
a deflnitive edition Of the writings OF
George Washington.
, It is the last of these three perma-
nent memorials which the largest num-
Der of persons will see and which will
doubtless do more than anything else
to portray the man lin his true colors"
to his fellow countrymen. For the
definitive edition of George Washing
tons writings will be available not only
in one place but may be consulted by
scholars and the public in the future, in
public and private libraries all over this
land and in other lands.
The work of preparing the writings Of
washington for publication is an enor-
nous task and one that requires the
ability of a man who is not only ia
n1iliar with old letters and manuscripts
and the business of publication, but who
has loving insight into the life and
character of George Washington him
self.
DR.. Fitzpatrick in Charge.
Such a man the George Washington
Ricentennial Commission has found in
DR.. John Clement Fitzpatrick, for many
years associated with the Library of
Congress as an archivist, where he had
special charge of the Library's enormous
and constantly growing collection of I'M
published letters of Washington; an au-
thor who has written many fascinating
works on Washington, and one who
has studied the life and character OF the
first President until he knows him like
q living friend.
Since Congress adopted a resolution
authorizing the publication of the def
nitive writings of Washington, the gen.
eral public has had somewhat hazy
idea of what "def1nitive," as used in this
resolution, meant. Among the various
definitions of the word found in Web
sters New International Dictionary are
the following: Positive, final, conclu-
sive, unconditional, express, complete"
It is in all of these senses that the
word Is doubtless used, but probably the
definition complete" expresses it better
. from the general point of view.
: However, DR.. Fitzpatrick, who has
: beual appointed by the George Washing
!. ton Bicentennial Commission as the
editor of the Congressional Memorial
: Writings Of George Washington" has
: given The Star his own account Of the
work to be done.
''The main literary activity Of the
= George Washington Bicentennial CON-
mission" said DR.. Fitzpatrick, will be
= publication of the definitive edition Of
= the writings Of Washington. Some pre-
= liminary explanation OF this Is neces-
: sary that the public may understand
: just what this Is and why 1t is.
Not Half Have Been Published.
'"To begin WITH not so per cent Of
: Washington's writings have been pub
Iished up to now. although In the .1830s
College, published IL volumes Of Wash
ington's letters, and, so years later,
Worthington G. Ford published another
edition In ID volumes.
Ford included most Of Sparks, but
omitted quite number. while he added
many letters that Sparks had failed to
print. But both the Ford and Sparks
publications. taken together, only print
ed about half of the total number Of
waSnington's letters. The Bicentennial
Commission will print all the letters
used by both Sparks and Ford and all
the, as yet unpublished letters. This
will require an edition Of Is volumes cat
least) to include all the essential and
important letters written by Washington.
THE purpose Of this, the reason for
doing 1t, is precisely and exactly the
puIpOcS anu IedSUu 4OE Tie UICcutcA-
NAL celebration, to wit: That George
Washington may become better known
and better understood by the people of
the United States. Hundreds of lives
of Washington have been published, and
almost all of them have been written
from the so per cent of the letters
printed by Ford and Sparks. Is it any
wonder that Washington Is only half
understood? How can 1t be otherwise
when nearly all biographers have been
content to form their judgments from
only half Of the evidence?
All Phases of Life Shown.
"All of this evidence would show
Washington's entire opinions, thoughts
and actions in every year of his life
his farmer days at Mount Vernon,
where he was not too proud or naughty
to take of his coat and work with his
slaves In the hayfelds, in building
fences or in planting bushes and trees;
his war days in the camp of the Con-
ttnental Army, where he all but fed,
clothed and equipped the troops and
fought, retreated and fought again I'M
til victory was finally won; the presi-
Dental days. when he had to carry a
young, weak and tottering democracy
upon his aged shoulders until it was
able to stand firmly on its own feet be-
IOEG a CyillChl NOlld w WA
In these things can be fully understood
only when all of Washington's letters
are in print and available for study.
Included in this definitive edition
will be the military orders of Gen.
Washington throughout the entire pc
Rod of the Revolutionary War, which
have never before been published and
which will give us vivid picture OF
the way in which the commander-in-
washington is the American ideal OF
patriotism and citizenship and because
Of this plain John Smith is never salts
ned; never will be satisfied with any OF
the biographies of his national saint.
Sparks. Life of Washington Marshaus
Life OF Washington Henry Cabot
Lodges Life Of Washington woodrow
Wilson's, Owen Wister's and all the
others are only Marshalps, Lodges ana
wilson's opinion of Washington and
what John Smith really wants is John
Smiths own opinion OF George WASH
1ngton.
"There is only one way for John
Smith to get 1t satisfactorily and that
Is to read what George Washington
wrote himself. And John Smith Is IN
terested enough to want TO read Wnat
Washington wrote. That was proven by
the way In which the Washington
Diaries were bought by the public.
=. Greatest American Legend.
''washington is the great American
legend and legend nation can be
proud Of Every American wants to be a
part of this national legend and this de-
sire, conscious or otherwise, is the main
impulse behind the individual interest in
George Washington.
Tn a mans letters the man himself,
the true man, always stands revealed.
80 la4l Id, en1f I'D - nv
complete collection of the letters of a
nuhlic man inevitably portray that man