How it is displayed in Germany and America. The readers here and there. Professor Munsterberg draws interesting comparisons, and shows ways to deepen the intellectual life of the American public. "Books and Readers in Germany and America," was the theme of a lecture given by Professor Hugo Munsterberg, of Harvard University, yesterday afternoon before the Germanistic Society in Fullerton Hall Art Institute. The subject was handled in an exceedingly interesting and captivating manner. This lecture, as the speaker remarked in his introduction, should be considered a continuation of the one he gave in the same place last spring, about the learned profession of literature in Germany and America. If he spoke at that time about humans, he wishes to speak today about books.

Professor Munsterberg, during his last stay in Germany, felt himself at home, because he found everywhere Americans, students and typewriters, fruit, chorus girls - from America. But he did not find one thing, American books, not even in the largest libraries and book stores, which sell all kinds of foreign books. They could not be had. German scholars, with whom he conversed, expressed their admiration of American works without ever having seen one in the original, but 2only on the basis of extracts. The reason for this non-appearance can be found in the looseness of the American book trade. Perhaps the American publishers do not possess the necessary business interest, as the sale of American books in Germany and Europe is naturally very limited.

It is a fact, that American books are hard to obtain abroad, because of a lack in the necessary channels for the book trade. Even if American publishers don't care particularly about selling books in Europe the indifference is to be regretted from another standpoint. How could the prevailing false prejudices and often unjust descriptions made against America, be removed if the influence of American books is missing? The works of older authors like Mark Twain, Bret Harte, lately Poe and Emerson would have found proper circulation, but with these the list of valuables is exhausted. The remainder is scattered, insignificant, accidental stuff.

The publishers are to blame. The blame rests upon the German publishers, who refuse under any circumstances and on principle, to publish translations of American works, because of the United States published refusal to participate 3in the international original protection of authors. As a consequence, German publishers are highly incensed at their colleagues in America whom they consider unscrupulous thieves. One of the largest publishing firms, that of Bruckmann, Munich, furnishes all their published books with a remark about the American protection to the original authors, in the English language, which protects them for at least one year from reprinting in the United States.

In spite of the German publishers comprehension that America has no respect for intellectual property, this is an erroneous idea. The American law for protection of the original authors is older than that of Germany. Every American book in Germany is protected for thirty years after the death of its author. Germany therefore gives to foreigners the same protection as it does to its citizens. America does the same, because here the book of a foreigner enjoys the same protection as that of its own citizens. Under the condition that the books are printed in this country.....