The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-01-03

some people though. the soldiers might
like to read. Or maybe the owners
wanted to get rid of them. Drays had
to be requisitioned to haul away this
junk. Persons who want to send books
to soldiers are urged to send things
they themselve have enjoyed. Kipling.
Jack London. Conan Doyle, Florence
Barclay and Hall Game are among the
we'll known authors that are 'sure fire
in the trenches.
Travel and history also take. Men at
Salonika wanted histories of Greece, for
example. The soldiers travels often
inspire him with a new interest in the
wide world. Text books of languages
are also welcome. 81 can talk pretty
good Russian now," wrote one sailor,
but not with their grammar.
THE British Prisoners of War Book
Scheme" which is also described by
Mr.. Koch, is perhaps the most remark
able educational movement that has
grown out of the war. 1t was started
by three Englishmen who were informed
at Ruhleben in Germany.
These men wrote to some of their
friends in England, asking that they be
sent books which would enable them to
put in their time in serious study. One
of the friends to whom this appeal was
addressed was Alfred T. Davies, per-
manent secretary of the Welsh Depart
ment of the Board of Education. He
set out to organize a system for sup
plying educational books to Englishmen
interned in Germany. The problem he
faced was difficult one, since the men
interned included all sorts, from day
laborers and jockies to professional men
and technical specialists. An appeal to
the public for books, however, brought
an enormous assortment of material.
Within the first year 5000 books of
an educational nature were sent to Rub
leben, where 1900 civilians were in
termed. The whole camp was organ
lied into an educational institution.
Among the prisoners 200 lecturers on a
great variety Of subjects were found.
The pupils were roughly grouped into
three classes, those who had been pre-
pairing for some examination when they
were interned, whether for the civil
service, the merchant marine. or for a
college degree; those who already had
entered upon a commercial or profess
sional career, and those who were bent
on following some form Of learning for
its own sake, such as aniquarians and
scientists.
This particular camp has subsequent
ly won the sobriqGet Of the university
of Ruhleben, and the claim is made
that as much solid educational work is
going on at this came of prisoners as in
any university in the British empire
This certainly seems to be an idea worth
promoting. The work of most of the
universities in Europe has been inter
rupted by the war. Students and pro-
fe= sors are in the ranks or doing other
necessary war work.
Matriculations in our own universities
were much lighter this year because of
the great number of students who had
been enlisted or drafted Only medical
and divinity students have been exempt
ed. If the war goes on another three
or four years the work that universities
do for civilization will be as completely
interrupted in this country as in
Europe. But something of the loss may
be saved if prisons and hospitals and
camps can be organized for educational
In fact, it would seem that
something positive might be gained, for
the kind of education offered at Ruhl- |
ben, instead of being bound by prece-
dent and tradition, is determined by the
needs and requests of the pupils.