Putnam patriot., 1918-06-28
MAJOR CIDDINGS
 sTARTLEs AUDIENCE
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 cheese, formed the mainstay of the menu.
 Major Giddings was in London dur ing two air raids, and in Paris during six. These he described picturesque ly. All England and France are dark at night" he stated. 1t Is against the law to have light shin ing. The air ships always come on moonlight or starlight nights, other wise they could not see the earth be- low them. When the invaders are dis covered at the coast, warning IS sent to London, and sirens give the signal of approaching raiders. The people all go into the raid cellars. One cannot see the planes-they are too high up for that It is not so much to escape the bombs that one goes into the eel lars, as 1t is to escape the bits of shell from the anti-air craft guns. Those in charge of the guns cannot see the planes, so they just shoot at the sky. The small bits of metal from these ex- ploding shells are dangerous, and so 1t is that when the alarm sounds, rich and poor alike, sit around in the pro- tected places, much in the same way that we sit around in a thunder show CT. The nervous tension in an air raid is much the same as in thunder shower-you may be struck. but you probably won't"
 Major Giddings also told of being in Paris while that city was being bombarded by the long range guns. Don't you believe" he remarked, that the people of Paris treat the shelling with contempt, just as though it was nothing at all They don't. They realize that those shells are 9 F inches in diameter, and six feet long, and when they hit church or hospital the building is a wreck. It would be anoying to have those shells dropping here in Putnam every , minutes. It was annoying in Paris. 1 don't think I am giving away any military infor- nation when I say that thousands of people left Paris following the first shellings And they were glad to get away"
 Concerning the German prisoners, the speaker said that on being captur- ed they all apparently expected to be killed, and when they discover that they are to be we'll treated, they at once assume either a sullen air, or put on d smile that you can't knock off with brick" They become naughty and arrogant.
 The meeting at which Major Cid dings was speaker, was the annual spring meeting of the Connecticut Li- brary Association About 55 librar- ians, coming from all parts of the state. were present, and number of local people took advantage of the op- portunity to attend. The address of welcome was delivered by Judge E. Nj. Warner.
 At the forenoon session, following a business meeting and roundtable discussion, Miss E. Kathleen Jones, librarian of the Mclean Hospital, Waverley, Mass, spoke on Base Hos pital Libraries" Miss Jones has been organizing the base hospital library at Camp Devevns, and had many facts of interest to bring before the audi ence present Among the interesting things she told. was that while con valescing, it has been found that sol diers prefer detective and western stories for reading, but once we'll on the way to recovery they insist on having books that will enable them to advance in their work. She empha sized the fact that all are anxious to get to France, and are willing to study hard to have their desires full filled.
 At the afternoon meeting, Librar- ian F W. Edgerton told of the work of the New London public library. He also made an appeal for literature, as this library is doing much to supply with reading matter, submarine chas- CTS, and other vessels that come into New London harbor.
 After the meeting had adjourned, many of the visiting librarians took advantage of the opportunity to in- speet the State Trade shop. and to make a tour of the H. K H. silk mill.