Evening star., 1950-05-18
u. ). Historical Unit
To Meet 10 Discuss
New Publications

| Inc NdLlOQal historical PuDll-
cations Commission will be called
together shortly in compliance
with President Truman's request
that it look into the matter of
the collection and publication of
the papers of men and women
who have played important roles
in our national life.
Mr.. Truman disclosed his interest
in such projects yesterday when
he spoke at the Library of Con-
gress at ceremonies marking the
publication of the first volume of
THE Papers of Thomas Jeffer-
son."
DR.. Wayne c. Grover, archivist
of the United States and chair
man of the commission, said to-
day he expects to call a meeting
of the commission within the next
few weeks. The commission has
been relatively inactive in recent
years.
Speculation on Projects.
/ Meanwhile, scholars Speculated
on what national figures might be
the subjects of such publication
projects as the President sug-
geSted
The President told his Library of
Congress audience:
Il am interested not just in
political figures but in the writings
of industrialists and labor leaders,
chemists and engineers, painters
and lawyers, of great figures of
all the arts and sciences who have
made major contributions to our
democracy"
AS the result of Mr.. Truman's
statement these figures were
among those mentioned in discus
sions by historians:
Andrew Carnegie. steelman; Or
vile and Wilbur Wright, Samuel
Gompers. founder and for many
years the president of the AFL;
Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford,
Mark Twain, Sam Houston, John
Rutledge of South Carolina, one
of the trainers of the Constitu-
ton, and, of course, the Presidents
of the United States.
Library Has Papers.
DR.. Scion Buck, head of the
manuscripts division of the Lii
brary of Congress and a member
of the Historical Publications
Commission, pointed out that the
Library has the bulk of the papers
of most of the Presidents.
The papers of John Adams and
John Quincy Adams are in the
Adams Trust in Boston, still con-
trolled by the Adams family. The
Theodore Roosevelt, Taft and
Coolidge papers are in the Library,
but still not completely open to
scholars. The Hoover papers are
in California, and the Franklin D.
Roosevelt papers, recently made
public, are at Hyde Park.
The commission includes, in ad-
dition to DR.. Grover and DR.. Buck,
historians in the State, Army and
Navy Departments, and Dumas
Malone and Guy Stanton Ford of
the American Historical Associa-
ton. Philip M. Hamer of the Ma
tional Archives is secretary.
DR.. Grover said he considered
the President had taken a wise
position in stating that publica-
ton should be as far as possible
the task of private groups. Mr..
Truman added that the Federal
Government should assist when
ever possible.
Truman Gets First Copy.
Mr.. Truman at yesterdays cere-
monies accepted the first copy of
the volume of Jefferson's papers.
AT a time when democracy is
meeting the greatest challenge in
its history" he told the 500 per-
sons in the audience, I'VE need to
turn to the sources of our own
democratic faith for new inspira-
ton and strength.
Mr.. Truman said Jefferson lived
at a time of great struggle, a
struggle to preserve and expand
human freedom, but that the
struggle still goes on.
Our stage is larger" he said.
"our struggle must be waged over
the whole world, not merely in
our own country"
Gift From New York Times.
The immense publishing job
Jefferson spent five to six hours
day at his desk writing letters
even when he was President)-is
being done by Princeton Univer-
sity.
Mr.. Truman noted that a gift
OF 100000 from the New York
Times Co., in memory of Adolph
S. Ochs. had made the job pos
sible, and he said the country
should be grateful.
LIE TASK is so great that 1t
won't be completed until 1868.
Its total cost will run up to 81
million.
Gen. Marshall-Mr. Truman, in
an aside at the start of his speech
called him the greatest soldier
and statesman of the age-com-
mented on the extreme youth of
Jefferson, Hamilton, Monroe,
Madison.
yet think of the tremendous
part they played" Gen. Marshall
said. I'm even more impressed
by how broad and how deep and
profound were their studies of
history"
\ Then, again referring to theil