Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-11-08
READING FOR
our SOLDIERS
War Service of American Library As
s0ciation-Making A Reading Army
Essentials of Soldiers Efficiency
The Books They Need-After the
War Ambitions.

In the worlds work for November
Frank Parker Stockbrldge tells this
story.
A lanky raw boned soldier stood
studying the initials ga. L. A. ~ on
the gable of long low building in
one of our southern Cantonements,
turning to his pal he sad, "It's a
mighty nice building the State of
Alabama has put up here. Wonder
if Mississippi amt got such build
ing in Camp"
That was a year ago. Today
every soldier and sailor on this side
of the water, on transports or over
seas knows what "a. L. A. means
just as he knows what Y. NJ. C. A
or K. of c. stands for.
In 1917 the American Library As
sociation tried the experiment of Of
fering reading to our soldiers and
sailors Now it's service has made
our army reading army, as our
Camp Librarian puts it, and this
reading is serious phase of the SOL
diers preparation for war as it is for
his return to peace Some of the
boys are trying to keep up College
courses Others during their spare
time are finding themselves" with
regard to the lines of work which
they will pursue in civil life after the
war.
Many people felt that the soldiers
would have no time to read and that
if they had they would only want fc-
ton. Most Of them have more lei
sure than they ever had before and
with no social engagements find that
the most pleasant way to spend an
evening in Camp is with a book.
Much fiction has been given to the
A. L. A. and while it is used, the sol
/ diers are reading 20 per cent less
fiction than civilians. They are in
sisting upon having books of a mere
serious sort.
War has become largely matter
Of machines and the modern soldiers
profession has as it's first essential
/ to efficiency the knowledge of these
machines. Camp librarians must in
clude not only books on artillery and
av ation, but signalling, technique
of drilling, books on airplanes and
gas engines, hydraulics, water works
/ systems, plumbing electrical works
as well as books on diet, food stuffs,
garbage disposal and road making
The soldiers also want to know Of
the country to which they are going,
so books of French travel are popul-
ar. These books must be bought
for technical books must be up to
date. An automobile mechanic, the
camp sanitary engineer or the cam
outage artist cannot use back num-
Der books
Our young soldiers are ambitious
many of them qualify for promotion
by study. Books in forty languages
are to be found in Camp libraries
here and overseas. Primers anc
first readers are in demand for mer
of every race in the great melting
pot of the army are learning tx
speak and read English. Among
these are not few native born Am
orleans who are being helped to learr
to read
Some ask "What will BE done with
the books when the boys come
home?" Many of them will be worr
out, many kept for use in the hospit
ais in France and England It vii
i take as long TO get our men pack a.
it has to get them overseas and man!
will be used in the enormous system
of schools and universities which il
being planned for the education O
our soldiers during the period of de
mobilization, others will be returned
to become a permanent part of th'
Organization of the standing army o
the U. S.
), More books are needed. Many O
these technical books cost four ant
five dollars. Publishers are gener
Gus, authors are giving their royal
ties, libraries are loaning books AM
we the public must do our share.
s Lessons in beginning French give
5 at reasonable rate. Florence H. Ben
nett 205 S Fulton Street, Wauseon