New-York tribune., 1919-07-07
Books
By Heywood Broun

New York Globe" or books for sol.
ders, says: MEN ara now reading
who never read before in their lives" Tha.
is quite true. Others are reading books they
never considered before and may never con.
slider again. The supply of titles in the
A. <. F. libraries has doubtless grown in the
last two years, but in the early months Of
the big adventure in France the selection
was not large. remember finding in one
company library in the little town of Ablain-
vile: The Family Life of Heinrich Heine.,
Fourteen Weeks in Astronomy" "Recollec-
tons and Letters of Renan." Education and
the Higher Life,"- "Bible Stories for the
Young" and Henry the Eighth and His Six
Wives" The last was easily the most popu
lar book in the collection. but the soldier.
complained pretty generally that it did not
come up to expectations
While l was looking over the shelf the
champion heavyweight boxer in II Company
came in to return a small red volume. lie
had rather self-conscous air and asked
him whether he liked the book
We'll, yes and no." he said, judiciassy.
"What is it ?" I persisted. as he continued
to keep the book tightly locked under one
arm.
ITS called When Patty Went to Col
lege,'" ne answered defantly.
AS far as our observation went, O. Henry
was the favorite author of the A. e. II.
Copies Of his books were cut up into single
stories which circulated until they fell apart.
Zane Grey was another favorite, and so wa.
Irwin Cobb. Contrary to popular belief, the
soldiers by no means avoided war s,orles not
even accounts of their own particular war.
and eagerly read George Patullo's "Satur-
day Evening Post" chronicles of the Amerl-
can expedition in France
Tho woman who kept the pastry shop ia
Gondrecourt sensed the demand Of the Amer
leans for reading matter and sent rush
order to Paris for English books Her enter
prise was not rewarded by any thriving trade,
Tor the consignment which she received from
the booksellers included "The Life of Dean
Stanley" Sermons by the Rev c. H. Spur
geon," "The Jubilee Book of Cricket" "Ths
"reminiscences of Sir Henry Hawkins
Lord of Brampton)" and "The Recollec-
tions of the Right Hon. Sir Algernon West"
1t has been called to our attention 40
the phrase goes, that we were signslly
In error in stating that the Office of Don
Marquis, author Of "Prefaces," looks out
on THE World" thus accounting for HIS
breadth of vision. AS matter of fact
the entire Tribune Building rests between
Mr.. Marquis and this view That we had
overlooked, or perhaps subconsciously, we
thought that Mr.. Marquis should be able
to look right through this barrier on ac-
count Of the we'll known clarity of The
Tribune.
Whenever we read book by Fabre.
such as the recent MASON Wasps" (Dodd.
Mead & co.,, we feel inclined to tear down
all the screens in the house rather than
discriminate against the insect tribes who
seem so fascinating when you get to know
them as Fabre does. There is, for in.
stance, the aesthetic wasp, the Eumenes
who adorns her home for effect as well
as comfort:
"The Eumenes's cupola Is piece Of
artists work, and an artist would be sorry
to hide her masterpiece under whitewash
| crave forgiveness for suggestion which
advance with all the reserve beftting ae
delicate a subject. Would it not be pcs.
sble for the cromlech builder to take
pride in her handiwork, to look upon il
with some affection and to feel gratifed
by this evidence of her cleverness? Might
there not be an insect science of astheticsf
l seem at least to catch a glimpse in the
Eumenes, OF propensity to beautify her
product The nest must be first and fore
most a solid habitation. an inyiolabls
stronghold, but, should ornament inter.
vene without jeopardzng the power Of
resistance, will the worker remain indif-
ferent to it? Who could say?"