Evening star., 1941-05-18
Mrs. Howard Asks Books
For Public Library of Sea
Enlarged Merchant
Marine Increases
Associations Needs
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

Back of the American Merchant
Marine Library Association is the
starry-eyed enthusiasm OF Mrs.
Henry Howard, who 20 years ago
became aroused to the reading
needs of the men who do down to
the sea in ships.
Nor did she let wishful thinking
dull the edge of her dreams as to
the factor that good reading matter
might be in the lives of sea-farers.
She promptly did something about
it," by founding this association.
For two decades since then, she has
been president of this public
Library of the High Seas" and a
vital force in the education of the
public to its needs and the useful
service it is performing for Ameri-
can merchant seamen, all around
the world
Interviewed at Mrs. Gilbert Gros-
venor's during her visit to WASH
ington to be present at the book
tea for the American Merchant
Marine Library Association, held at
the Parmelee estate through the
courtesy of its present owners, Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph E. Davies, Mrs.
Howard said Books are a tre-
mendous factor in helping to main
tain the morale of our merchant
marine, which in the last analysis
is as important to national defense
as our Army and Navy.
She went on to say, "the building
of hundreds of modern merchant
ships, the reconditioning of many
others and the training of officers
and seamen to man the new mer-
chant marine, is one of the most
vital parts of our national defense
program. Without Government aid
or appropriation, the American Mer-
chant Marine Library Association is
endeavoring to equip each ship with
a library before it sails.
Seamen Vovacious Readers.
"Seamen," she emphasized, "are
among the greatest readers of all
classes of working men. When they
are at sea, they do not have the ad-
vantage of daily newspapers, so are
entirely dependent for reading di-
version upon books and magazines.
Therefore, we of the American Mer-
chant Marine Library Association
try to place in our little green wood
en- sea chest libraries as varied
reading fare as is possible. Books
of modern biography, current his
tory, mathematics, science and
language as we'll as current maya
zines are widely sought. Time,
News Week, the National Geo.
graphic, Readers Digest, Saturday
Evening Post, Golfers. Atlantic and
Harpers are among the prime favor
ties dispensed by the thousands to
our ships"
In addition to the books which
the association sends through its
general type libraries it aids many
seamen to make individual borrow
ings of technical and non-fiction
books. Not only do these borrowed
volumes further serious reading in
terest but in many instances they
are direct means of obtaining pro-
motion. Among the technical books
in demand of this nature are those
on seamanship, navigation, marine
engineering, radio and nautical
cookery.
From her handbag Mrs. Howard
extracted several letters which had
that day been forwarded to her
from the associations central Office
at As Broadway, New York City,
thanking her for the aid which its
ships libraries had been. One man
gave the association credit for his
recent promotion to an assistants
place with the ships refrigeration
plant on a vessel plying between
here and Puerto Rico. Another in
closed a contribution of SIS, vol
unfairly collected by the seamen