New Britain herald., 1917-08-31
DRAFTING AUTHORS
FOR THE SOLDIERS
Writers Pledge Books for Libra
ries at Troop Depots

Washington, Aug. 31-Besides push
Ing Its campaign to raise $1,0OO,O00
for the construction, equipment and
operation of soldiers libraries at the
/ 80 contonments and camps of the
country and also supplying the sailors
and the sick and injured with books,
the committee on camp libraries of
the American Library association has
begun tho recruiting of authors to
help Tighten life for "the boys in
quarters, at the front and on the sea.
$50 far, 1875 celebrated writer's have
been drafted, with q total of about $50
volumes, and the committee has not
yet got below the letter G in the al
phabetical list of authors. The roster
starts with w. J. Tbbott who is drawn
on for six volumes, and reaches A. K.
Green, who has 10 books named.
Heaviest of the conscriptions is that
on Harold Bindless, author Of adven-
ture tales, who is down for % books,
with Sir A. Conan Doyle at 21, and
Charles Dickens and Robert w. Cham
bers at 20 each. And prominent in
the list Is Tyrus Raymond Cobb, better
known to fame as 'Ty," who once
wrote a book which he called BUST
ing En-" that may appeal to the SOL
diers in both sport and attacks on the
enemy.
The list is not based merely on
books popular in libraries, for a study
was made of the books that soldiers
actually are fond Of reading at pres
ent. Book stores were examined to
ascertain the titles most called for by
men: tho section on military tactics
was submitted to the war department
and approved by the military authori-
NJ
cluded after consultation with repre-
sentatives Of the National War Work
Council Of the Young Mems Chris
tan association.
Incidentally, the books in the camp
libraries will be distributed from the
main library buildings through the Y.
M. Q. A. and the Knights of Columbus
buildings acting as branch libraries.
Omit Books on Present War.
In the list of books to be used for
overseas camps, the committee on
camp libraries feels that many if not
all, books on the present war should
be omitted. Belief prevails that the
soldiers in France have enough of
war without the need of books on that
subject, but such conditions are not
thought to apply in the United States.
By request, a special list is being
compiled for the mess boys and the
younger men in the service.
Just to pick a few of the selected
books at random, there are efBattle
Fields and Victory and Naval His
tory of the United States by w. j.
Abbott; Told in a French Garden.
August, 1914" by Mildred Aldrich;
1.-THE Genial Idiot" by John Ken
dr1ck Bangs and volume by the
same author on "Mr. Bonaparte of
Corsica; Yankee Ships and Yankee
Sailors by James Barnes; and THE
House on Cherry Street. by Amelia e.
Barr, which many of the New York
men will find of interest.
West Point Wooing," by c. L.
Burnham, sounds as though it might
appeal to many Of the officers, and
1.-The Sky Pilot" by Ralph Conner,
should find favor with both the chap
lairs and the aviators. who Goes
There7" by Robert W. Chambers,
seems an appropriate title, and pigs
Is Pigs" by Ellis Parker Butler, may
be news to veterans at the front who
find their sausage and pork pudding
made up of sawdust and nails and
other strange ingredients.
The esta blishment Of camp libraries
was suggested by the Commission of
Camp Activities of the war depart
ment, which asked the American Lii
brary association to undertake the
work and according to Raymond B.
Fosdick, chairman of the camp acti-
tiles commission, it will in no way in
terfere with the work of the Red
Cross, but rather will supplement the
work of that and other relief organiza-
tons.