Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-01-26

WILL BE ACCEPTED, ALTHOUGH
REGISTERED, IF QUALIFIED
ALONG CERTAIN LINES.
BOOKS FOR OUR FIGHTERS

BOOKS FOR OUR FIGHTERS
More Than Half a Million Already
Furnished Soldiers and Sailors by
American Library Association
What the Hat Cord Denotes.
(From Committee on Public Information.)
Washington.-Men qualified along
certain lines, although registered un-
der the selective-service law, may be
indicted into the land division of the
Signal Corps, which is In need of men
for the following duties:
Chauffeurs, motorcycle drivers, and
gas engine repairmen for duty in field
and telegraph battali0ns; telegraph
ers, both wire and radio; telephone
men, including switchboard operators,
telephone repairmen, and men skilled
n testing and repairing telephone
lines; telephone and telegraph line
men; photographers, still and moving;
hOmingpigeon men; radio men who
IRE familiar with installing radio ap-
paratus; men qualified as cooks,
clerks, stenographers, blacksmiths,
meteorologists. cobblers, cable men,
etc.
Men indicted for this division, I'M
Tess otherwise requested by the chief
signal officer of the army, are sent to
Fort LeavenwOrth. Kan.
More than half a million books al
ready have been furnished soldiers and
sailors in training camps and in France
oy the American Library Association
War Service, and the flow is steadily
increasing, according to the director
IF this work.
A campaign for funds inaugurated
~ the association last autumn netted
more than $1.5OO,OOO and real results
IN the tangible shape of books and
comfortable libraries are being felt by
The soldiers and sailors. The Carne-
lie corporation gave 100000 for the
erection Of camp libraries. Nearly
I'll camps now have libraries and in
the others the buildings are in course
IF construction. The reading rooms
each accommodate $50 men.
For the men in France the associa
ton has organized distributing sta
tons at all points of embarkation,
where books are assorted for shipment
abroad. Soon every soldier who steps
on transport will carry book with
him, which he and his companions will
read on the way across, after which it
will be forwarded to the men back Of
the trenches. No attempt will be made
10 establish libraries in France, but
the association will have representa-
tives there to supervise the work of
distribution.
bars, stars and eagles on the shout
der proclaims ranking officers, the hat
cord denotes the branch of service
each private has entered.
Light blue signifies infantry; scar
let, artillery: yellow, cavalry; buff.
SCttIltL dIll
white. engineers corps: orange and
white. signal corps: scarlet and black,
ordnance black and white. field clerk :.
maroon. medical corps; black and gold.
affccrs: silver and black, adiutant
generals clerk; green. instructor home
Guards: green and white, home guards.
These cords are worn only on serv-
ice hits.
Cadet aviators wear rs hat bands
inch and half white ribbons and on
coat collars insignia representing the
aviation branch of the Signal corps.
propeller blades.
There were .A2o. $50 enlisted men
and 11O,S65 officers in the United |
States army at the opening of 1918. |
more than one and Il half times as |
large as any force ever before mo-
hi'iZed by this nation. according to |
> statement by Secretary of War |
Na'-cr.
During the war with Spain the army |
If the United States at it's maximum |
strength aggregated 272,OOO men and |
The army in the field and in
training now is practically six times
rs great as the maximum number I'M
der arms in the Ssanisl.American war.
About $4,000 officers were commits
stoned from civil life in the two series
of training camps. nearly eight times
IS many as the number Of officers in
the regular army April 1, 1917.
Postmasters are directed not to ac-
copt for shipment to members of ex-
forces packages cOntain-
ing matches cigar lighters. Or solidifieG
alcohol, including the preparation call
I'd "Sterno' Or canned heat.
It is not deemed safe to admit these
articles to mails for foreign countries
or for United States naval vessels, in
rluding marines on shore in other coun-
tries.
Contractors working on orders for
the navy are required to provide
vatchmen and devices to protect their
plants and property ard the work in
progress against espionage, acts of
war and Of enemy aliens. Upon re-
1uest they must report the citizenship,
of birth. or alien status of all
A second training camp will be held
At Porto Rico, starting February l.
Tho attendance of 400 will be selected
from citizens and residents of Porto
Rico.
Eight per cent Of the 9.59G.50S men