Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-28
THE WORLDS WAR
Through Woman's Eyes

BY ELLEN ADAIR


LONDON, Dec. 3.
FTNHERE arc those IN America who are
i describing war as n Great AdNen-
ture." or a "Spendid Game" They are
nightly mistaken. As "a soldier once
summed up the situation: "In war you
are either being bored stiff or scared
stiff" Any fighting uan will corrobo-
rate the statement.
DO the dwclers at homo. those who
rest securely in their beds at night,
and, casting a thought across the At
lantic. think of their men in France as
heroes" really understand the strain
those men are chccrfully undergoing?
DO they realize the appalling monotony
of war. as well as the appalling hard
shps--the facing Of that unhappy alter
native. being bored stiff or Scared
Stin"?
The American soldier, in almost every
case, is a man of education before he
I puts on his uniform. The modern demo-
cratic armies are composed OF those who
at home help to make un the reading
public" for which authors write-and
books are really essential to the @oldiers
well-being and happiness,
/ DO the Americans at home fully
understand the fighting mans craving
| for literature" in every form?
40 tneN realize lnat buOh ~ as
much a necessity to him as his daily
ratione-that a book is an assuagcr of
hardships. dangers. anxiety aud even
pain?
Every soldier who thinks and feels,
who has mind above the painful ma
tcria. Ism of his present existence, wants
books. books. and more books
In n letter to the American E%pedi-
tionary Force Library. W. u. George,
( the well-knOwn author, writes
/ Some two years ago ! asked man
returning from the front: What does
war feel like Oh he replied. You
sit on an old packing -case and read last
years Pearson's Weekly
"Such picture saddened me, con-
tinues Mr.. George. 80 that | begged
books from my fellow-authors Tor the
British camps to a total Of some thous-
/ ands. You will therefore realize my
| keen sympathy with your work. The
modern soldier has desires beyond to-
/ bacco and beer I ask your support
! not to offer the American soldier the
/ refuse Of their library. lie will want as
/ good books as they do"
Remember, then, that books are even
more necessary TO his happiness now
/ than when he was living where other
pleasures were easily obtainable,
I'p in the front lines, where camp
/ entertainments are rare or impossible
whore the nearest towns and villages
are lying in mass of ruins, books mean
b the solace of many hours of leisure that
would Otherwise he intolerably weari'
some
"Tell the folks back home that they
! can't possibly send too many books TO
us :" is the cry 7 constantly hear among
all. soldiers who are heading Tor ina
front
Listen TO the message which William
]. Locke. the novelist. sends TO Amer
ica:
NO gift a civilian can make to sol
diers in the field can give them greater
comfort and solace and will meet with
more grateful appreciation than the gift
| Of books And as books cannot last
long in a muddy dugout. II Is impossible
for armies to have too many or them.
I hope that this appeal Of the American
Y NJ. G.. A. for books will bring them TO
the American troops IN their hundreds
of thousands"
have been privileged to read many
Interesting letters sent TO the American
i Revolutionary Force Library by count
less prominent authors
81 think we ought to make real
effort to increase the supplies OF books
sent TO the front" writes Arnold Ben
nett land not only books. hut periodicals
are needed-and not only light periodf-
Gals. but serious periodicals. 1t Is an
immense mistake to assume that fighting
soldiers desire nothing but froth. In a
very large percentage OF cases they
want work for the mind
"Remember there In no book-shop and
No NEWSSTAND around the corner at the