Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
Capital Sidelights

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
The FIRST copies of the first edition oil
the deflnitive writings of George Wash
ington. which are being published by
the George Washington Bieentennial
Commission as one of the most i'm
portant commemorative and monu-
mental projects in the Bicentennial
program, are just coming of the
scented early this week to President
Hoover. There are 25 volumes in the
set and the writings" were complied
by DR.. John c. Fitzpatrick, who is con-
sidered the greatest authority on the
manuscripts and historic and funda-
mental documents in the Library Of
Congress.
How widely this matches collection
of all of Washington's writings will be
made available to the American people
and the world is somewhat dependent
House Committee on the Library, OF
which Representative Robert Luce OF
Massachusetts, is chairman. The Sen
ate passed bill providing for the print
ing OF 5000 sets, acting on the recon-
mendation Of an advisory committee OF
the leading librarians and historians OF
the country. The thought in the mind
of Representative Sol Bloom of New
York, associate director of the Bicen-
tennial Commission, and his advisers on
the production Of this unique Washing
ton library Is that by getting q large
number Of sets printed the cost can be
reduced, so as to bring them more
readily within the means of libraries
and institutions of learning. 1t Is hoped
that the House committee will concur
in the Senate action.
There is absolutely no set Of books at
all comparable to this one in existence.
Heretofore, II Is pointed out by those
who have made a careful study, only 20
per cent of WashingtonS writings have
been published. Yet these are today
selling at much higher price than it
Is proposed to charge the libraries and
schools for the Bicentennial edition of
100 per cent of Washington's writings
The House Committee on the Library
has been considering cutting down on
the number of sets authorized by the
Senate from 5000 to 5000. This would
not, of course, fit In with the Bicen-
tennial Commissions plans, as the laFg-
er the number of sets ordered the lower
the price will be, and 1t Is considered to
be one of the greatest achievements of
the commission to get these writings"
compiled by an expert as q work of love
and then to make them available to the
largest possible number of students and
researchers. In this way, Is In no
other, 1t emphasizes the spirit of Wash
ington and his lessons to the American
people can be kept alive and transmitted
through the succeeding generations.
In view OF the fact that 1000 of these
sets of Washington's writings are to be
distributed to members of Congress, 1t
seems as If 5000 would be about as
small number as ought to be consid-
cred for distribution to all the rest Of
the people through libraries and edu-
cational institutions.
Some members Of Congress have
suggested that the Bicentennial Com
mission should have only q small first
edition printed: then see how they
sold, thus gauging the public demand,
and that Congress would subsequently,
authorize another and larger edition
as the orders came in. That's all
right as a plausible argument-only 1t
wouldn't work out well in practice, for
that's not the way Congress works
Congress may mean all right when
such promise is made, but It's pretty
safe bet that 1t would take a great
deal OF persistent prodding to get a
second edition-if ever.
Now is the time to have the full edi-
ton authorized and printed and dis
tributed to the people while the interest
in Washington is abnoFmally aroused
Washington's writings ought to be read
lily available TO all the people during
the Bicentennial year.