Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-10-12
MILLION DOLLARS
FOR MILLION BOOKS
For A Million Men OF Uncle Sans
Army And Navy
WAR LIBRARY FUND
Prof. c. Alphonso Smith Says Ameri-
cans Are Idealists, Not
Materialists.

small, put appreclauYe ana en-
thusiastic was the audience assembled
last night in Mcdowell Hall. ST
Johns College, for the entertainment
held under the auspices of the War
Library Fund Committee, which COM
mittees is unit of the National or
ganization whose slogan is "A Mil
lion Dollars for a Million Books for
Million Men"
Prof Sydney s. Handy, of ST. Johns
College, chairman of the Executive
Committee. presided In calling the
meeting to order Prof Handy stated
the object of the Library War Fund
Committee, its duties and the especial
duty of the local branch, which is to
raise $4,000 in Anne Arundel County
of the one million wanted.
Prof. Handy announced the numbers
on the program, the first of which
were songs by Miss Julia Douw, Miss
Millikin was accompanist Miss Douw
sang wild Rose" by Ball, and Birth
OF Morn" by Leoni Miss Douw has
sweet, well trained voice and sings
with expression.
Commander Cluverius read selec-
tion from "The Tall Ship" by Barti-
meus. Prior to the selection he cited
few incidents of the present war,
and the dangers of the sea at this
particular time He told of the ter
rors of the danger zone, and the ne
cessary precaution the United States
ships and those of the Allies must take
in passing this zone, but he said, I'VE
get through" Commander Cluverius
cited an incident of personal interest
which occurred the past few days. A
naval officer recently returned from
across the seas who, for seven days
and nights could not remove his
clothes, even his rubber boots, be-
cause of the intense situation of war
conditions in the danger zone.
The reading was apropos of the
times and was word picture OF
thrilling scenes and experience of a
torpedoed ship, the victim of Ger
man submarine.
Piano selections, "Arabesque" by
Schuman, and "Marche Militaire'
were played by Miss Millikin in her
own brilliant style. and were received
with prolonged APPLAUSE. The piano
used for the entertainment, splendid
tone instrument, was kindly loaned
for the occasion by the firm of Isaac
Benesch & Sons, Main street.
Calling him an honored son of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina, Prof S. S
Handy introduced Prof. c. Alphonso
Smith. Head of the Department OF
Languages at the Naval Academy
who made the address of the evening
Prof. Smith is a fluent speaker. He
has the full command of the English
Language in its best form at his
tongues end and is never lost for q
word. Although his subject was not
one of which great deal could be ex-
| tracted in the way of oratory, Prof
Smith made the most and the best OF
it. and held the undivided attention
OF his audience while he talked of the
need of books for the soldiers an6
| sailors. He said the country wants tC
| place book in every soldiers an(
every sailors hands and this means {
million dollars for million books fol
a million men. 1t is stupendous un
dertaking, Prof Smith said, and sucl
an undertaking as no other govern
ment has attempted England ant
France have provided books for th'
! officers of their armies and for the col
lege men, but not for every enlisted
man of the army and navy. German.
calls us materialists. said Prof. Smith
but we are not materialists, we arr
idealists. Prof. Smith said there is M
| nation of greater idealists than th'
| United States, not even France ant
| Greece. This is a country of higl
ideals and this war is proving it.
1t is folly to say the men of th
trenches and the men of ships do no
have time to read They do and the,
will. Good reading is everything t
them. They crave it. They will pas
from man to man piece from a tori
newspaper and every man will rea
il until it is tattered and torn and be
grimed by the many hands it passe
through.
Reading is necessary TO the men a
camp and cantonment 1t stands be
tween them and Isolation, and there
nothing that a persons breads NOR
than isolation. it has a horror for hu
manity that is banished by readin
good books, and these are the kind G
books the government proposes TO pu
into the hands of a million mel
Reading makes a ready may. Thi
war viii make men of men Thos
who went into it young and inexperi
enced will come out of it manly mel
their character strengthened by es
perience and discipline.
This is a great nation, and a gres
nation stands back Of its army an
navy. and individuals must stand bs
hind both.
Prof Smith encouraged that idea
ism that puts into every mans han
of the million men in the field bool
It the close of his remarks Pro
smith was given hearty applause.