Evening star., 1940-04-21
Book Burners Give
America Opportunity,
Penwomen Hear
$4,000. 900 Appropriation
Urged to Bring European
Volumes to, Sufety Here


With "book-burners on the march
abroad" now is an opportune time
for this country to gather into its
national library "as many European
books as ships can bring and money
can buy" Library Of Congress
ofncial said yesterday before the
National League of American Pen
women.
John Vance, chief OF the law divi-
sion of the Library Of Congress,
suggested an appropriation Of S.
0O0 900 might be sought from Con-
gress for such purpose.
He chided the Nation at large
for its limited library facilities in
comparison with European coun-
tries.
I'VE read and buy fewer books,
In proportion to size, than the little
nations now, falling into the laps
of the dictators," he said. There
are 100000 American citizens
without library facilities"
Library a "Choice Jewell
He called the Library of Con-
Eress lone OF our choicest jewels" T"
but continued: I'VE might say we
have one nice little library here
where Great Britain, Germany and
other countries have half a Dozen -
Paris would be worth saving just
for its wonderful little book stalls
alone the Seine, he said. Mr.. Vance
was one of several speakers who ad-
dressed the penwomen at the tradi-
tional authors breakfast which
opened the biennial convention at
the Willard Hotel Approximately
800 members were present and more
are expected to arrive for the official
opening tomorrow. The sessions will
continue through Friday.
AS a novelty, the penwomen this
year had only men speakers at the
breakfast, though member COM
posers were represented on the
music program, and French
dancer, Madelein Lazard, gave a
performance.
The List of Speakers.
DR.. Hugh Findlay, director,
Landscape Architecture Department
OF Columbia University, and author
Of books on gardening; DR.. Joseph
Quincy Adams, director of the
Folger Shakespeare Library; Cor
ham Munson, biographer of Robert
Frost; DR.. Elgin Groseclose, author
of "Ararat," and Labert st. Clair,
author of 1--WE Met the Folks,
were the speakers. Mrs. Audrey
Wurdemann AuSlander, poet and
national president of the league,
turned the chair over to her nus
band, DR.. Joseph Auslander, con-
sultant on poetry at the Library
Of Congress, during the program
Bishop julius Walter Atwood, re-
tired, of Arizona gave the invoca-
ton. Michael Webroff, New York
portrait painter and baritone, was
among the singers and was recalled
for an encore.
Introduced as a poet-gardener
Or. Findlay in philosophical ad-
dress, spiced with humor, developed
as = theme the Importance OF
creating beauty to replace ugliness
He urged the women, as gardeners
or as writers and artists, to regard
beauty not as luxury but neces-
sity. The soil, he said, is Cod S
ambassador of truth"
No Design for Living.
DR.. Groseclose declared that the
world, in spite of its inventive
genius, has not yet produced q
"design for living" and offered this
as a challenge to those who deal
in the arts. Our systems today deal
with machines, not men, and money
not morals, he said. Those who
deal in the arts are in a position
to deal with human beings as liv-
ing spirits" he declared.
DR.. Adams, briefly discussing the
Folger Library, stressed its scope
and the varied nature of its collec-
ton, declaring it covers the period
from the beginning of the Renais-
sance to the end of the Reforma-
ton. Not only does it cover belle
lettres, he said, but every aspect OF