Evening star., 1932-01-24
WASHINGTON BOOKS
LISTED BY LIBRARY.
photography Issued Free as
Renewed Interest Is
Shown Here.

A George Washington Bicentennal
number OF the monthly bulletin of the
Public Library has just been issued,
featuring books about the first Presi-
dent and the country in which he lived,
together With lists of stories and plays
in which Washington appears as a
character
George F. BoWerman, librarian, an
nounced that copies may be obtained at
the central building of the Public Ii
brary or at any neghborhood branch.
Organizations desiring a number of
copies for distribution, however, should
apply to the central library.
Although the formal opening Of the
Bicentennial celebration is still month
away, the Washington shelves in the
biography division at the central library
are practically emptied Of books every
day The collection ranges from the
earliest biographies to the results Of
the latest research work.
Weems' Book Praised.
The little volume by Parson Weems
turned "all the actions of Washington
to the encouragement OF virtue by a
careful application OF numerous eX-
emplifcatiors drawn from the conduct
of the founder of our Republic from
his earliest life" according to the en-
thusiastic reviewer Henry Lee. 1t was
very successful in giving currency to
stories still popular with juvenile au-
diences but a Sounder criticism was
needed to humanize the great leader.
John Marshall wrote one of the finest
Of the lives which appeared before the
middle of the last century. Washing
44v Tr,yi nrnIuPpH
readable biographies, the latter also ed
iting a many-volumed set of Washing
tons writings. George washington
Parke Gusts contributed two volumes
of memoirs Of Washington, but it was
not until the nineties that scholars be-
gan to study WashngtonS life and
! Worthington Chauncey Ford edited his
monumental edition of The Writings
of George Washington" in ID volumes.
| Henry Cabot Lodge wrote A life for the
American Statesmen" series and Paul
/ Leicester Ford combined the new Schol-
arship with popular treatment of his
subject in his True George Washing
! ton"
| Public Interest Renewed.
After the World War there was a re-
viyal of interest in the life of Wash
! ington, the man who had cautioned
against the foreign entanglements in
which the United States had become
| so heavily involved Washington's
diaries" were edited by John C. FitZ-
patrick, who also published George
! Warrington, Colonial Traveller. 1892
; 1775." A shorter compilation from
Washingtons writings was issued as
/ Washington Speaks for Himself" by
Lucretia P. Osborn. delightful pic
| ture of The Family Life of George
Washington" was written by Charles
! Moore, chairman Of the Fine Arts Com
mission. All of these excellent works,
| however, failed to make half the COM
/ motion that accompanied the appear
ance in 1926 Of George Washington
! The Human Being and the Hero, 1892
, 1892" by Rupert Hughes. This at
! tempt to humanize Washington was
violently attacked bv the school of hero
worshiperS. but critics generally gave
it hearing and eventually passed
| judgment that in spite Of certain in
discretions its treatment was generally
sound. an opinion that has gained in
yalidity with the publication of the
| two later volumes The Rebel and the
Patriot, 1762-l777" and The Savior
OF the States, l777-178l." Another
work of the same idol-smashing type
| appeared IN the same year, George
! Washington, the Image and the Man"
| by William E. Woodward. Like the
Hughes volume, it was favorablv re-
ceived by critics. but bitterly denounced
by oldline patriots.
Three Others Added.
! Joseph D. Sa|yer's George Wash
ington" in 1927 offered a treasury Of
Washington pictures, with a minimum
Of factual text. Three satisfactory
volumes appearing in 1929 and 1880
were Shelby Littles George Washing
ton" John Corbin's Unknown Wash
ington" and Thomas G. Frothineham's
| Washington, Commander in Chief" a
military interpretation
The latest work on Washington
comes from the pen of the distinguished
French biographer. Bernard Fay, whose
life of Franklin was so well received a
year or two ago. 1t is entitled George
! WASHINGTON RaOUblican Arir+oo~a. ),