The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-01-27
BOOKS TO TROOPS
SORTED BY HEADS.
Many Volumes Thrown
Away Because Officials Say
They Are Unsuitable.
CONSIGNED TO SCRAP
Asks Public to Continue to
Send Reading Matter for
Enlisted Men.

New York-Oliver Wendell Holmes,
has been consigned to one of the great
est literary scrap heaps ever piled up
In America. Nor is the late Mr..
Holmes alone in this distinction. Nari-
GUS authors of other days and the
present time are with him in the heap.
Thereby hangs tale of war endeavor
and 16 literary scrap heaps now be-
ing piled up in various sections of
the United State.
The boys in the army and navy must
have books to read. The public evil
IDENTIFY took this view OF 1t. considering
the number OF volumes being received
Mt 16 distributing stations In the United
States, of which the largest is at the
New York public library. Here, in the
basement floor, much space and Il large
working force are devoted to receiv-
ing. examining, sorting. and forward
ing to various environments and naval
stations books contributed by citizens
throughout the country.
The fact that 300 cases, containing
several hundred books each, were re-
Gently sent in one batch from the New
York public library Is indicative of the
interest the nation Is taking in provid-
ing reading matter for soldiers.
Heap Carefully Sorted.
There is use for all the books sent
in except those which are in rags and
tatters or those so out of date and
prosy that not even a soldier on an
advanced post in a desert would care
scrap heap, but even the heap is gone
over several times to make sure no
gem is lost
Casual examination of one daily heap
at the New York public library brought
to light at first glance II volume by
Oliver Wendell Holmes. But it had
been written by Mr.. Holmes in prosy
mood on some out date topic and
which he probably would not care to
read over himself were he present In
spirit at the scrap heap.
The distributing center at the local
library Is in charge of II. w. G.. Vail, a
young man who knows what the SOL
diers want. Under his guidance. when
the books are received they are divided
into three sections--fiction, non fiction,
and books of reference. After sorting
and eliminating those entirely insult
able the books are packed in cases and
shipped to the soldiers and seamen.
Women of society and war workers
drop each day to devote a few hours
to pasting army labels on the books
and doing other useful work.
1T is II pleasure to see how much
interest is really shown in this work, y
said Mr. Vail Even the men en-
ployed in packing and shipping often
cut down their lunch hour SO as to get
on with the work.
Most of the books we can use. and
those finally put in the scrap heap are
sold for old paper, But it will be well
for the public to leave the sorting to
us and to continue to send all the books
they have to give. | would be glad II
the newspapers would send out a call
for more books. Tell the public to keel
sending them in as fast as they can
| Our distributing center here covers
four STATESMEN York. New Jersey
| Massachusetts. and Connecticut.
| There are Is other states doing the
same work for other groups of states
| Used volumes are not the only ones
books are sent us--morc than one
third of what we receive are new vol,
umes. OF course, none of these go int,
the scrap heap. We have in all 3.
bins which are filled constantly will
books sent in. Tell the public to kee,
the good work M"