Evening star., 1935-11-10
CH|LDREN'S BOOKS
LAUDED At DINNER
Mrs. Roosevelt Urges Poetry
Neutrality-suspicious. Give
"Chapter" Talks.

With an imposing array OF autnOrS
OF childrens books as guests, the Lii
brary Club Of Wilson Teachers College
celebrated at dinner last night the
centenary of the founding of the
first library for children. Mrs. Frank
lin D. Roosevelt, whose "The City OF
Washington" is intended for youthful
readers, led the list of writers.
Attracting almost as much atten-
ton as Mrs. Roosevelt, Lawrence Tib-
bett, baritone, who sings here this
afternoon, came in late and left after
brief greetings. The diplomatic corps
was represented in the presence of
Michael MacWhite, minister Of the
Irish Free State, and Adrian Recinos,
minister Of Guatemala.
Speakers told of the establishment
in Hartford, Conn, by Caroline Hewins
of the first library for children, and
discussed subjects in children's litera-
ture from turkey-calling to Mayan
civilization.
Inquiry Goal Stressed.
Mrs. Roosevelt said the juvenile
library should be place Ito stir the
Imagination and start youthful minds
in inquiring channels" and should
instill in children desire to own books
themselves. The library. she said,
should be a place not only where
children read books. but also where
they can discuss them, for books are
of infinitely more value when talked
over with others.
She expressed the hope that in the
some one to read aloud to children,
giving them a love of poetry before
they understand it, merely through the
beauty of the words.
II read poetry to my own children
long before they could understand
what they heard she told her audi
ence, but when they grew older,
they went back to read what they
had heard before"
The dinner took the form OF
"book." with each of the author
speakers presenting chapter
1t began with an invocation by Rev.
James Shera Montgomery, chaplain
of the House of Representatives.
Then DR.. Edgar c. Higbie, president
of the college, dedicated the book"
to youth of all ages" Herman H.
B. Meyer of the Library of Congress
gave the preface" telling Of Car
oline Hewins' work. and Arthur Bowie
Chrisman, author. of White Post, Va.
presented the prologue" in the form
of a plea for establishment of talk
ing Libraries" in which the reading
of books would be recorded. He sug-
gested the plan as memorial to
Will Rogers.
Authors Make Talks.
Authors whose talks or recitationS
composed the chapters of the book
were Mrs Elizabeth Foreman Lewis
of Arnold, Md, Newbery medalist in
1898; w. Maxwell Reed, Princeton
University professor of astronomy,
who has written books for children on
the stars; Miss Allen Chaffee of Cali
fornia; DR.. Howard R. briggs, pro-
fessor of English at New York Uni
versity: Mrs Aida Sims Malkus of
New York City, who accompanied a
Carnegie expedition to explore Mayan
ruins in Yucatan; DR.. Archibald
Rutledge, nature writer and John
Burroughs medalist in 1890; Miss
Audrey Wurdemann, poet and Pulitzer
prize winner last year, who in private
life is the wife of Joseph Auslander.
noted New York poet; Recinos;
Charles J. Finger, Newbery medalist
in 1927; MacWhite, Padriac Colum.
Irish poet and dramatist, and
Auslander.
Hartzel Goodman, president of the
club, presided, and Dorothy Dean, gen.
eral chairman, was toastmistress. Va
rious students of the college introduced
the speakers.
Besides those who had part in the
program at the speakers table were
Tswen-ling Tsui. second secretary Of
the Chinese Embassy; William Ather-
ton Du Puy, author, of Washington;
Stanley r. Harris, local author; Assist
ant Supt. of Schools Robert L. Hay
cock, Mrs. Vachel Lindsay, widow OF
the poet: Rose M. Macdonald, Viz
ginia author; Mrs. William M. Mann.
wife of the director of the Zoo and the
author of children's books, and Mary
Nourse, Washington author.
William Rose Benet, widely known
poet, who had been scheduled to be
present. was unable to attend.
In closing the affair Auslander paid
tribute to Mrs. Dorothy De Muth Wat
son, faculty adviser to the club, who
continued with plans for the dinner
despite the recent death of her mother.