The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-07
MT. Carl Mildm Writes On the
 Social Significance of Literature
SOCIAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT By MRS. SIDNEY M. LILLIAN

modern drama. Libraries in many cities
 have found it necessary to buy dozens
 of copies of plays like Kennedy's Ser want in the House and Zangwilf s
 Melting Pot. while the plays of Der
 nard Shaw, Eugene Brieu, John Gals worthy and others have demand that is surprisingly large and persistent That this literature is sociological ill character is known to everybody. All the good plays seem to be problem plays and the authors are frankly con-
 fessing that they believe the drama should lead the thought of the times on social questions.
 "Galsworthy says: T look upon the stage as the great beacon light of civ ilization;' and Shaw with more bold ness, confesses that he is not an or dinary playwright in general prac- tice.' T am a specialist he says. in immoral and heretical plays. My repu- tation has been gained by my per-
 sistent struggle to force the public to reconsider its morals. In particular, I re- gard much current morality as to eco homie and sexual relations as disas- trous1y wrong. and l regard certain doctrines of the Christian religion as understood in England today with ab- horrence. I write plays with the de- liberate object of converting the na- ton to my opinions in these matters "An eminent critic of the drama who says the play that breaches is seldom art says also that the prime func- tion of tho dramatist of today Is to tring man to consciousness of his responsibility and to incite him to con structive measures for social reform From my own observation I can tes- tify that the students of the drama arc not students of art forms so much as students of social problems. Even poetry has not escaped the social movement. A very popular book during the last few months has been The Wine Press by Alfred Noyes' which is one of the most effective ar guments against war that you Will find in all literature.
 "Biography also has its social signih- canoe. "The Making of an American, by Jacob Riis is perhaps the most called for biography on the shelves of Amer ican libraries. The publishers of the At lantie Monthly, in announcing new autobiography recently called attention to the success of Mary Antin's Prom ised Land" and Abraham Rihbany's "A
 Far Journey" "This year." they say. we offer the continued story of The House on Henry Street. famous as the
 Nurses Settlement Of New York s East Side. Her personal chronicle is story of tense interest and a record
 which must give heart to all who be- lieve In American possibilities "In all my discussion thus far I have dealt with books which are read for pleasure. With the exception of b;og raphy. they all classify in a public library as general literature. It would not be fair to libraries, however, tc
 close this paper without some refer
 ence to the popularity of the books that are classified as sociology, pure and simple.
 "In an editorial summarizing the book production of 1914, the Publishers
 Weekly, the American book publisher s trade Journal, makes this significant
 statement: Sociology. which year
 ago usurped the place where religion had rested securely for many years
 the place second only to fiction in popu- lar regard-has just managed to keep that place"
 Think what that means; There are more books being published on social questions than any other single
 subject And it Is safe to assume that
 they are being read, both in the homes and in the public libraries
 "In Birmingham 26,0 900 people have library cards. It Is estimated that 1t, 900 more use the magazine and books in the library, or read books taken out
 on other peoples cards.
 Approximately 10000 people, there fore, are being affected by the literature
 that the library has on its shelves and
 on it's tables.
 II is estimated also that In and out of the library no less than 500. 900 library books and magazines are read every year.
 In the light of what has already been said-that all classes of books are now teaching social ethics-I believe these | figures and facts are of tremendous | social significance"