Evening star., 1948-10-12

Ing, considering CIle scope OF WASH
plications of decisions made here
Nations Capital generally.
It Is the scene of national and in.
ternational political activity. 1t Il
the background for social occasions
1t abounds in great names. 1t deals
with unusual causes. And 1t Is fre.
quently associated with significant
events.
However, this is not q recent dis.
covery; almost from the time it wa.
founded Washington has served a
inspiration to those who write.
beautiful city, 1t has been the sub.
ject Of countless volumes of de.
scription. j
Even as farback as l7s5 we fine
that Tobias Lear. q private secre.
tary Of George Washington's, pub.
nshed a sedate book with the In.
elusive, not to say unwieldly title
observations on the River Poto.
mack. the County Adjacent and the
City of Washington"
It has been the subject Of nu.
merous local histories and pictoria
studies. For obvious reasons 1t ha.
been the setting for many political
biographies and commentaries, rang.
ing in time, content, style and point
Of view from Senator Thomas H
Benton's Thirty Years View" tt
Henry L. Stimson's "Cn Active
Service in Peace and War"
"reminiscences Abound. 7
OF social histories and reminis.
cences there has been no end Ger.
tainly Charles Hurd, Mrs. Raymond
Clapper, Miss Vera Bloom and Mrs
Henrietta Nesbitt were not the first
(as they will not be the last) tc
recognize the interest inherent in
the life Of this community, unique as
ii Is In American life
In days gone by it even intrigued
such writer's as Thomas Moore, Mrs
Trol1ope, Oscar Wilde and Charles
Dickens. 1t should perhaps be noted
that not all the chroniclers Of Wash.
ington life have been kind.
In earlier generations 1t apparent.
ly was literary convention for Euro.
pean travellers to write only dispar.
agingly of the seat of our youthful
Government. But, whether sym.
pathetic or caustic, the variou!
interpretations offer interesting ant
entertaining reading.
Local scenes, governmental activi.
ties and social events from time tt
time have supplied novelists with al
the elements Of a good story: Atmos.
phere. characterization, plot anc
suspense, seasoned with love, adven-
ture, mystery and intrigue.
These run the gamut from his
torical stories, based on careful re-
search, such as Irving Stones I'm
mortal WIFE," to the contemporary
pieces Of Leslie Ford, Pat Frank
Archibald MacLiesh and Frances
Parkinson Keys.
Leslie Ford's Col. Primrose has
become such a reality that one al
most expects to meet him on Penn
sylvania avenue. "Mr. ADAM" by
Pat Frank, and 1.-THE Internal Ma
chine" by Archibald MacLiesh, and
Robert A. De San Mariana, both OF
which are gay satires on the Gov
ernment, are as contemporary as the
afternoon newspaper.
Background for Drama.
Even poetry and drama have beer
inspired by washington events
George washington Parkes Gusts, q
stepson Of the first President, con-
ceived several historical dramas with
this city as a background. Julia
Ward Howe wrote the Battle Hymn
Of the Republic" after witnessing q
review of Union troops near the
Capital in 1861.
Nor is there any indication Of Q
diminution in the production oi
books about Washington. Brush
ing aside q staggering quantity oi
Government documents and other
official values. passing lightly by
those items which are concerned
with too minute an aspect Of the
local scene, we still have far toe
many titles to include in a brief
article of any but a most inclusive
photography.
However, 1t may be Of interest to
local readers to examine this repre-
sentative selection of books pub
lished about Washington during the
years since Pearl Harbor, prepared
by the staff of the Public Library OF
the District Of Columbia:
History and Description.
Citizens Planning Committee, Dis.
trict Of Columbia, washington, q
Plan for Civic Improvements"
Louis J. Halle, Spring in Wash
ington."
r. r. Hershman and e. T, Stat
ford, Growing With Washington.
Louis Justement, New Cities for
Old; City Building in Terms OF
Space, Time and Money"
Agnes E. Rothery, washington
Roundabout"
Lucy Salamanca, fortress OF
Freedom; the Story Of the Library
Of Congress"
william o. Stevens, washington
the Cinderella City"
washington Yesterday and To-
day."
Writers Program, District Of Co.
lumbia, washington. D. c.; q Guide
70 the Nations Capital"