Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-21
BOOKS FOR SOLDIERS
ARE COMING IN AT.
REDD|CK'SL|BRARY.
WAR LIBRARIES ARE BEING Es-
ThDLiSHED AT ALL CANTON
MENT-SOLDlER BOYS HUN
CRY FOR BOOKS.

Contributions of books and maga
zine sfor the soldiers are slowly but
surely coming into the library. The
books that have been received so far
are in very good condition, most of
them as good as new. Magazines of
course. predominant. There are still
many homes in Ottawa that could give
MS magazine donations.
Frame buildings. 40xl20 feet. one
story high, with accommodation for
eight or ten thousand books, news.
papers and magazines are being erect
ed at the 32 cantonments and Nation
al Guard camps
Hoy very much reading material
means to the soldiers is shown by
the following address delivered at the
Louisville conference.
In England Mrs. H. NJ. Gaskell and
Lady Batiersea undertook to supply
the soldiers with books. Not only
parcels and boxes, but yanloads of
books were delivered at Surrey
House Assistants from the London
Library aided in sorting and arrang-
Ing them But as "the wide-hung bat
tie field extended the supply of
books dwindled We We're in despair.
Hospitals in France doubled Sick in
Lemnos. Malta. Gallipoli, Egypt, grew
in numbers to an alarming extent;
books were asked for. cabled for de-
manded. implored Our hearts were
indeed heavy laden Relief came
thru the action of the postmaster gen
eral. who after paying visit to the
camps and seeing life in the trench
es. decided that the postoflice should
help in forwarding reading material
TO the men. Then the Red Cross and
the Order of Saint John was asked to
affiliate the war library with their or
gani2ations.
ing rapidly filed with the sick and
wounded, cable came TO Surrey
House: "Send $4,000 books at once,
light and good print" Perhaps the
day before Malta had cabled for 10
1OO similar books. The demand seem
cd to grow by leaps and bounds. No
hospital at home or abroad asks with
Jut receiving the full quota, today the
organization is supplying approxim-
atelv 1910 hospitals in Great Britain
262 in France, 5S naval hospitals and
70 hospital ships The transport hos
pital ships are replenished every voy-
age.
Those whom typhoid and dysen-
terry had weakened We're not able to
hold books at all, and needed pic
lures instead MIR Rudyard Kipling
had foreseen this need and asked those
in charge to supply strong brown pa
| per scrapbooks filled but not crowded
with pictures. Fresh scrapbooks are
uppied to, the hospital ships each
voyage. A young soldier just re
covering from typhoid, came to the
war library on his return from Egypt
and was asked to look about and tell
what he would have liked best during
his convalescence, Il was too tired
to read" said he, "but | would have
given a lot for one Of those picture
books" This type of conyalescent
can use games to advantage and so
the war library has started a games
department. There is never ceasing
demand for playing cards, dOminoes,
draughts and good jigsaw puzzles
even with a few pieces missing. Any
thing that can be packed fiat is ac.
ceptable.
All detective stories good detec
tive stories are hailed with JOY
Sherlock Holmes is a physician
member that. But lest you feel that
this ephemeral class Of books Is al
that is asked for, | must say that
poetry is in demand Shakespeare
greatest of patriots. visits the hospit
ais he is ever young tho three hun
drpd wears old--but we prefer him il
single plays. There is a demand
among the men for handbooks or
trade handicraft subjects.
Mrs Gaskell says that the workers
are encouraged to renewed effort by
the countless letters they receive from
= all over the war area. Il don't nkop
, how we should live without you
[ books" writes one wounded soldier
. Il am just waiting until my pal haI
/ finished to get hold his book" write
/ another. 1--WE have no books" Is th'
appeal of an isolated group of wound
{ ed in Egypt "All we have had t,
! read here was a scrap of the advei