Evening star., 1947-12-28
By Mary MeGrory

AS center OF nonflctlon book
publishing, Washington has certain
obvious advantages. 1t is the source
of an inexhaustible supply of Off
cial documents and the seat of high
Government officials and experts in
related fields, all of whom are po-
tential authors. It's reading public
is hand-tailored group vitally
concerned in military and govern
ment matters.
Washington publishers are non
profit organizations whose output
is of an authoritative and special
lied quality. On the promotional
level they operate with a mildness
that is just this side of self -efface-
ment, although indications are that
the great public interest aroused in
their publications during the war
will be exploited in the future.
This willingness to let their books
speak for themselves sets them most
strikingly apart from New York
publishers, who lay down a prepub-
lication barrage of superlatives in
preparation for D day, when the
book and it's author are launched
at lavish cocktail party. Here it
is done quite differently. One local
publisher said he considered the
release date an affectation. His
books go from bindery to bookstore
without murmur.
Most Washington publishers rely
on their mailing lists and steady
customers in the services Govern
ment, or military, or in libraries,
with modest advertising budget
in some national book medium
They feel, however, that their books
which are admittedly of special ap-
peal, are rewarded with more news
paper and public indifference than
they merit. They point out that
other studies in the same fields
brought out in the Manhattan
manner, are reviewed widely and
achieve respectable sales, while their
books, often by writer's they feel are
better qualified, are largely ignored
Some form of what he calls "or.
ganized attention" to locally pub.
lished books to produce stir that
might reverberate as far north as
New York, is advocated by Wash.
ington's best-known figure in pub.
fishing, Col. Joseph I. Greene, edl-
tor of the Infantry Journal and the
Infantry Journal Press.
Frequent meetings to talk ovel
problems, a concerted effort to in.
terest local book stores in theil
wares and entertainment of authors
are some of the steps suggested by
Col. Greene to make Washington
and the Nation conscious of loca
publishing activities.
The columns of news space giver
to official documents published BY
the Government Printing Office dt
not mollify the colonel, who think!
that such publications as James B
Conants report on universal mill.
tary training and the report o,
the Presidents Commission on Civi
Rights, both beautifully DONE" de.
served mention in book review col.
umns as we'll
Since the war and abandonment
of it's successful pocket-size books
the Infantry Journal Press has de.
rived its greatest sales from un'
official unit histories.
What the postwar level of pub
fishing will be Col. Greene, a Worle
War I infantry veteran, does mo-
yet know. With world affairs un,
certain and great numbers still ir
the service, general interest in mill.
tary affairs has not fallen off Sc
sharply as 1t did in 1920. So tht
Infantry Journal Press will con.
tinue to publish hard-cover book!
like Company Commander" by
Charles B. Macdonald, which Col
Greene uses as an example of how
their books dramatic and supple.
ment official Army publications.
His wide acquaintance among New
York publishers, whom he serves a!
informal adviser" on military man.
uscripts, has much facilitated Col
Greene's present project of nego-
tiating for the Government transla.
ton rights contracts for books to bt
published in occupied countries. Thi.
will lead to the distribution of sew
eral million books about American
life in Germany, Austria, Japar
and Korea.