Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-26
NEED BOOKS FOR
SOLDIERS CAMPS
Librarian Bailey Tells How Good
Reading Aids Fighting
Morale

1--WE will need books for soldiers MS
long rs tho war lasts" Librarian A. l..
Bailey, said at the New Century Club this
morning. when describing his work at
Camp Meade, "and there must be the
spirit of sacrifice on the part of those who
give" He read letter from one man who
sent his set of Dickens, saying that he
parted with it as something near and dear,
but he hoped that the soldiers would find
there all that he had during years ot
ownsership General Pershing has direct
ed that 50 tons month be allowed Tor
books in the shipping arrangements, and
this means 100 600 volumes for France per
month. In addition to this every camp
and every base hospital needs books. At
Camp Meade, where there are 25,000
men. there should he mt least 81, 600 books.
Secretary Baker wants To see the books
so arranged that a man will not need to
leave his company street to get something
10 read All boo}s gwen should bc IN
good condition They can be sent to our
public library here, and "A case has been
set in the lobby of the New Century Club
for club members TO put in their donations
OF books
WHAT ROCKS ARE WANTED.
Soldiers ask for less than 80 per cent
fiction. but nevertheless great numbers
of fiction and good bows stories are needed.
There Is great demand for technical
books on engineering, but these expensive
though they are. are being supplied from
the American Library Association fund.
The soldiers want books that inform them
on the work they are doing MIR Bailcy's
first request at Camp Meade WAS from
mess sergeant, who wanted a cook book,
the next WAS from a signal corps man who
wanted book on carrier pigeons Then
there IS q great demand for general
literature, for travel, especially adventure
such "a Harry franch writes about,
poetry Service, Massiicld kipling and
BYRON being favoritcs: al kinds Of war
books; text books on mathematics French
grMnmars, BacdckcrS are IN great demand;
histories ~ the United States, France and
italy, and lives Of Napoleon
People who think the soldiers have
neither time or inclination To read, should
hear Mr. Bailey toll Of the cagcrncSs FOR
books he found 1t Camp Meade The
\ NJ G A is their only resource in off
times. and IL is so crowded that there l.
no quiet Tor reading, and the men must
have book 10 take 10 their barracks.
The American Library Association has
taken over the book problem TO relieve
the Committee on Training Camp Ac-
tlyltIes. and they propose 10 establish
libraries in every military campand naval
training station. aud for the army IN
France In every base hospital they
want a trained woman librarian and books
for convalcsants to read Their fund Of
81 700, ,0oa is not gong 10 bc enough 10
supply the demand
TIE KIND or MEN
Its a slice Of humanity Mr.. Barley
said of the mcn IN the training camps.
and the camps arc great educational
who want books on philosophy. and there
Is 4 General and he : q good General too
who reads nothing but detective stories
There arc all kinds oi men, and they
arc all studying their Jobs. All non
CONS have 10 go - school and the men
have school classes certain nights each
week. some under army regulations.
some under the Y NJ G. A.
The Yastage IN Franco will be great,
because when men are ordered TO the
trcnccs, books may bc thrown anyw here,
but the need for them is great. and they
must have them Mr. Bailey told Of a
volume Of O. Henry that arrived at a
barracks IN France II was Immediately
separated into parts. and a Librarian ap-
pointed, and, then read until there WASH
y shred left ON the Mexican border the
National Guard picked up pieces Of news
paper from the car floors they were so
ANXIOUS for something 10 read
Now everybody can know that Mr..
Bailey wants books and good books in
good condition sent to the library for our
; L.-.E.