Anna Katharine Green.

She Wants the Chace Bill Passed and has a New Book Ready.

 BUFFALO, N.Y., March 11.—Anna Katharine Green, the author of “The Leavenworth Case,” has been a resident of Buffalo for several months. Like all American writers, she wants to see enacted an international copyright law. She wants it as a matter of right and justice, as well as for self protection. She has been instrumental in arousing interest in the matter among her Buffalo friends, and it is decided to have, if possible, and expression of Buffalo sentiment in the matter. For this purpose a meeting will be held at her residence. Buffalonians who are in any way interested in the matter of copyright legislation are invited. “There is no reason for the hesitation with which the Chace bill is being approached,” she said, “the one given that ‘it is very deficient’ is a poor one. None better has been presented. Let it be passed. It will be the cornerstone to a structure in which justice and not might makes right. I say let us have the Chace bill. Any defect in it, unseen at present, can be easily rectified. My experience is that few publishers feel in duty bound to pay for material that their competitors can have for the taking. Our English, French, and German cousins steal from us, and they are sure we steal from them. My books are printed abroad extensively, for which honor I receive not a cent, excepting from an English house, and that not because of the recognition of any right of mine to compensation, but for the advance sheets, with which they can anticipate the appearance of the American publishers’ books in Canada, England, France, and Germany. An English publisher recently boasted of the money he had made on American books, for the use of which he had not paid. If no American publisher has made the same boast with reference to English books, it is possibly because he is too modest to noise his shortcomings in this respect to the world. I know that there are some publishers in the United States who merit the highest confidence and esteem. There are some so honorable in their dealings with foreign authors that in spite of the odds against them they pay them well for their work. If this can be done with profit by individual houses, who publish cheap editions, no good reason can be given for not compelling unscrupulous publishers to do the same. I want to join with my friends here in calling the attention of our Congressmen to the Chace bill, and ask them to use their influence to assist its passage.