Evening star., 1932-01-17
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Uncle Sam has Just emphasized thai
he runs the biggest 10-cent store II
this country, selling only one line oi
goods-copies of patents-when he hac
SO much trouble in moving that golns
concern to the new S20000.0O0 De
partment of Commerce Building.
has been known for years that Unclt
Sam runs the biggest mail order ooos
store in the world selling only the
works of one publisher on an endles:
variety of subjectS-the documen'
sales department of the Government
Printing Office
But Congress has just discovered thai
it recently put into. business the Dig,
gest little free book store, doing lane
Office mail order business, in the out.
put Of one publisher on one genera
subject, distributing its books u
every community throughout the Length
and breadth of the United States anc
far flung insular dependencies.
This was disclosed in the House re-
Gently when Representative Sol Bloom
director of the George Washington BIZ
centennial Commission, read one Or
der received from colleague fol
thousands of copies of score or more
of books on various phases OF the lie
VI IcOTSe WdSlllIlBIOi
A summary secured by the writer OF
some statistics on the volume of mate
rial sent out by the Bicentennial Com
mission will be enlightening on the
work that has been done to make the
entire country George Washington,
minded for the big celebration thai
starts officially in about five weeks, or
WaShington's birthday, February %.
From April l last to December 81
there were 6,740,809 pieces of literature
about the life and times Of Washington
distributed by the commission, embrac-
ing plays, pageants, programs, cos
tune charts for plays, educational
pamphlets and courses of school study
music, clip sheets and news releases.
The first week of this Bicentennia-
year there were 346,255 pieces dis
tributed. Saturday, January 9, was
the biggest day thus far, and saw
l29,42 pieces sent out.
The biggest users Of this George
Washington material, by States, are
New York, 321, 1929 pieces; Pennsylvania
29l,955 pieces, and Illinois, 284,l3
pieces. As an Illustration of how this
material is distributed to individual
States, take Massachusetts, with its
population of 4,249614 There was q
State commission on the Bicentennial
appointed by the Governor, with which
the National Bicentennial Commission
has co-operated. In addition, 1t has
assisted SOC committees appointed by
cities and towns, 325 committees ap-
pointed by fraternal and patriotic or
ganiZations, 315 committees appointed
by religious organizations. 1t has con-
tacted with 614 units of the Federation
OF Womens Clubs in Massachusetts,
with 1l3 chapters Of the Daughters OF
the American Revolution and with 27S
other women'S organizations. 1t has
contacted with 2078 farm groups, 1850
Scout groups. with 1,164 labor groups
with 1874 department stores, with sc
music clubs, with 18 radio stations
with three Braille schools. 1t has con-
tacted with 398 administrators of
schools and colleges, with rs State and
county school superintendents and with
one State committee appointed fol-
school contests.
The Bicentennial Commission has
in Massachusetts, and to 154 educa-
tional and professional libraries. There
have been 1880 news items originat-
ing with the Bicentennial Commission
published in Massachusetts, newspapers
and 35 newspapers are using mat
service from the commission. There
were Ga photographs mailed to maya
zines and newspapers in Massachusetts
The pieces of literature mailed into
Massachusetts number 1929. In ad-
dition to all this, there were 5000
posters of Wakefield, the birthplace OF
George Washington, mailed into Mas
sachusetts. Contact was made with
495 American Legion posts. Each OF
the two Senators and the 16 members
of the Massachusetts delegation in the
House have received another 235
posters for distribution back home
The sort of cooperation given to
Massachusetts, for the big Bicentennial
celebration has been extended to all
other States, some of which show much
larger figures.
Throughout the entire United States
literature has been distributed to 2,63e
schools and colleges, principally the
George Washington appreciation courses
which constitute valuable library in
themselves.
The number Of organizations
throughout the States with which the
Bicentennial Commission has contact
ed and which receive the George Wash
ington literature as fast as it comes
from the press are: Fraternal and
patriotic organizations, 24,340; religious
organizations, 1920; women's clubs
1881; D. A. r. chapters, 3,293; wom-
ems organizations. 2,436; farm groups
91,149; scout chapters, 43,878; labor
stores, 4,748; music clubs, 1925; radio
Mention of the Braille institutions
emphasizes the fact that the George
Washington educational courses and
much other matter have been issued
in Braille for the use of the blind, SC
that no American need be left out OF
the celebration.
More than a million copies of Gilbert
Stuarts famous "Athenaeum' portrait
of George Washington have been dis
tributed among the schools of the
United States.
In addition to all the great food
of George Washington literature sent
to every community throughout the
United States, there have also been sent
1856 pieces to Americans living In
foreign countries. The orders for pub
lications come from all over the conti-
mental United States, Alaska, Hawaii
the Philippines, Canal Zone, Porto
Rico and the Virgin Islands.
At the present time the George
Washington Bicentennial Commission
receives more than 5000 pieces of mail
per day. Four clerks are needed to
open and sort this mail.
Typical letters of appreciation are
as follows:
"Kimshan Cove, Alaska.
81 wish to state that Kimshan Cove
is a small mining camp and there are
only 80 people here-all single men.
There is no organization to take
charge of the celebration and we are
SO miles from the nearest town.
"Other than to display your posters
in the reading room of our bunk
house there is very little that we can
do except on July 4. We will then
display the posters in the post Office
and the bunkhouse dining room.
Yours respectfully,
DANIEL J. WILLIAMS,
Postmaster"
"Otice of Superintendent of Schools.
''Mariposa County, Calf
con behalf of the children of our
county, the teachers. trustees and fel-