The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-11-15
No Army in History Ever Read as.
OmniverOusiy as the
YankS.
prefer DETECTIVE STORIES
Unexpected Demand for Serious Read
ing Surprise to librarians-Tech-
nicaI Books Great Aid to the
Ambitious Soldier. -

llliIl ~ IllIIltu
books have been shipped abroad by
the American Library association for
the use of the American cXpeditionary
force. The total available was 1000.
600, and this will be supplemented by
a united war work campaign contr-
button of S3,5OO,0OO out of its total of
Sl1O,5OO,OOO for the six allied welfare
organizations.
About one-half of the area covered
in France by the American expeditions
ary force has received its first Sprink-
ling Of books. The distribution is pro-
ceeding rapidly and next July there
will be established in Paris a central
reference library of 10000 volumes
available to any American soldier in
France. Upon application of hut
secretary any book In the Paris IL
brary will he sent anywhere In France
free of charge.
poster which reads: "These books are
loaned on the honor system If you
fail, 1t fails. America is far awav,
tonnage scarce and books precious.
Play square with the other fellow; he
has played square with YOU"
Fiction Predominates.
The books sent to Europc have been
Of two kinds, those contributed and
those purchased by the funds of the
association, which have amounted 10
S1,O00,O00 The variety of contributed
books is astounding and ranges from
mystery stories to theological trcatises,
from murder yarns to- Alilton'S poems.
Fiction, of course, predominutes.
No army in history ever read 50
omniverouSly as has the American
army in France. The men are greedy
for books. In the days when the sup
ply was inadequate, the demand was
so great that doughboy who had
taken over In his barrack bag copy
of O. Henry's "The Four Million" split
1t into pamphlets, each containing one
of the authors short stories. He
passed the copies thus, abbreviated,
along the line, and they literally were
read to pieces.
The most inSistent call is for detec-
tive thrillers and for tales of the
Rocky mountains. Next comes the de-
mand for poetry. Robert w. Service
is the soldiers favorite poet, with
Rudynrd Kipling close second.
Guide books which describe cha.
teaus, cathedrals and points OF his.
tOric interest are in great demand as
well as histories OF France a recent
cable message to this country called
for 500 copies of Jeanne dare" show
ing that the Maid OF Orleans Is as
popular as the modern French maid.
ems.
Demand for Serious Reading.
The librarians have been surprised
at the unexpected demand for serious
reading. Many a soldier has evident.
ly chosen war times to get in DIG
at some books the reading Of which
he has hitherto postponed to more
convenient season. With a perfectly
straight face a dOughboy inquired the
other day for Boswell's Life OF John.
SON."
or course more than one inapproprl.
ate book has found Its way overseas
Imagine the emotions of the young
giant who stalked into '"Y" hut, set.
tied down for quiet evening, an6
found that the first book staring him
In the face was one OF the gushiesi
and most effervescent of the Elsi,
books.
Most Of the money spent for tn.
565,OOO purchased books has gone 70,
technical volumes designated to aiG
the ambitious soldier in mastering the
science of war. Among these are books
on the psychology of color for the
camoufiage corps, the chemistry OF
high explosives. balistics, sanitary en-,
gineering, hydrOstatics, meteorol0gy
applied geology and other subjects or
which the modern soldier must be
specialist.