Evening star., 1940-04-28
BY ROSS A. COLLINS,
Representative in Congress

BY ROSS A. COLLINS,
Representitive in Congress
from Mississippi.
II the general-welfare clause OF
the constitution of a people means
anything, it undoubtedly enyisages a
provision for educational and cul-
tural facilities for all the people. For
my part, I could even 60 further and
hold that the power to provide for
the common defense would warrant
Federal grant-in- aid to schools and
libraries. Can any one deny in these
times of totalitarian struggle for
domination that, other things being
equal, the nation best educated is
not that one which is best prepared
to defend itself?
Our slogan should, therefore, be:
Millions for educational and cul-
tural opportunities mean billions
for defense; the only tribute we
shall pay to the rest of the world
which we shall render gladly, will
be our contributions of a literary
and scientific nature, our inter-
national trade, our service to the
suffering in all lands, and our en-
deavors toward the peaceful SOL
ution of international ENVIRONMENTS.
While we are appropriating vast
sums for military and naval arma-
ment let us not forget the boys and
girls of our land who have not the
advantages of good schools; let us
remember the 40 per cent OF our
population situated in the rural sec
tions of America who are without
adequate library facilities.
Advantage Over Athenians.
And while the nations of the
world are engaged in self-destruc-
ton let us construct here on this
very Capitol Hill a vast educational
center such as has never before been
contemplated in the history of man
kind. We possess already the nue.
leus of an American acropolis, whose
architecture measures up to those
incompatible Grecian examples we
initiate. Moreover, we enjoy the ad-
vantage over the Athenians of hav-
Ing great repositories of knowledge
which these noble edifices contain.
Since another great collection of
books is about to be added to this
aggregation of libraries it seems to
me important that the American
people be informed of the auspicious
event. and have portrayed to them
in some detail the efforts that are
being made by Congress in behalf
Of learning and culture.
The event to which 1 refer is the
removal of the world-famous Army
Medical Library to Capitol Hill, for
which the War Department appro-
priation carries an item of $l30, 900
for plans of building to house this
library. The inadequacy of the pre-
sent structure on the Mall next to
the Smithsonian Institution is well
known. For some years the safety
and preservation of the Medical
Library has demanded its removal
to a more appropriate building,
but the question has been whether
it should be located with the Army
Medical Center at the present site
of the Walter Reed Hospital, or
whether it should remain within
the city where it would be more
easily accessible to medical scholar
ship, both in and outside of Wash
ington.
Committee Readily Accepted.
Hearings on this point have been
very Illuminating, and I hope every
member will read what the most
eminent men in the field OF med1-
cine and surgery have said with
references to the Army Medical LII
brary and its value to the medical
profession. The committee has had
no hesitation in accepting the rec
ommendation of these leaders in
medicine that the library be located
on this hill near the Library OF
Congress.
In coming to this conclusion the
committee has considered not only
the accessibility and safety OF the
Army Medical Library but also the
benefit of its proximity to the Lii
brary of Congress. The addition OF
the Army Medical Library to this
growing library center will make
Capitol Hill the most important
educational center in this hemis-
phere, if not in the world.
Progress has been made toward
that desideratum. In 1896 the LII
brary of Congress, comprising then
about 100000 books and pam
phlets, besides large collections OF
manuscripts, maps, and prints, was
moved to the new building across
the esplanade. Within the past
decade three beautiful marble
buildings have been erected on
streets adjoining the Library of Con-
gress square, namely, the Supreme
Court Building, the Folger Shake
speare Library, and the Library Of
Congress Annex, all of which are
dedicated wholly or in part to Ii
brary purposes.
100000 Books and Pamphlets.
The Library of Congress, with its
two fine examples of library archi-
lecture, and with collections now
comprising more than 5000, 900
books and pamphlets, is unques-
tionably one of our peoples greatest
glories. AS members of this body
which has encouraged its develop
ment and used it constantly, we
have right to be proud of the IL
brary we have created for the Ma
ton. We are all familiar with some
Of its treasures, and in the annual
reports of the librarian we have
read descriptions of its great col
lections.
We are aware of the fact that in
point of numbers-more than 6,000,-
900 volumes-it is the largest Ii
brary in the world; that it possesses
the greatest collection of manu-
scripts on American history in the
United States, too numerous to be
counted; the largest collection Of
maps. 1,421 ,285; the largest collec-
ton of music in the United States,