New Britain herald., 1928-02-06
Y MAN OPPOSES
 BOOK CENSORSHIP
Barnes Says Police Cannot In.
 terfere With His Reading

Speaking before the Young Peo- ple's society of St. Marks Episcopal church last night, Clarence H. Barnes, general secretary of the To- cal Y. M. G. A.. said that young folks arc missing one of the pleas- ures Of life if they do not read books. He said that one of the chief occu- pations of youth is pleasure seeking, and in a world where there is So much woe, one is entitled to get all the joy he can.
 When some killjoy would take all your pleasures away. remind him that Jesus proved that he was not that type at the wedding party in Galilee. When the wine ran out he worked His first miracle to give His friends fresh supply of the liquid that seemed so essential to the gail ety of the occasion. Not that this episode condones the current cus- tom Of calling on the bootlegger to break the law of the land, but it shows tolerance on Jesus part. that we have not always initiated" said the speaker. t.
 MT. Barnes explained his attitude toward censorship of books. T don't admit that any police power has the moral right to tell me what books I shall not read, nor am I willing for any committee ofSeview- CTS to select the book that I shall read in January or July"
 He said that books are like friends to be chosen according to ones taste. Mistakes will be made in the choice of both friends and books but unless people are allowed to do their own selecting they will be for. ever at the mercy of those who de- light to regulate the affairs of others,
 Ones taste in friends improves as one goes along in life. though surprising qualities are often discov- cred in strange dress. It is one of the delights Of reading to lind some excellent writing where you least ex. pect 1t. just as 1t is a pleasure to find the choicest human attributes in person whom others have iudr. cd and found wanting,
 English is your most important study in high school and college. but it is a rare teacher who can do for you what he would like to do. ere. ate in you a Aove for good books. For the most part your taste in lit- erature will be acquired after your school days. Now you are too prone to look upon all books as text. books. and you miss the pleasure which they might give you.
 You can never get to know a hu- man friend as you can know your friends in books. Actual friends sur- prise you by the unexpected things they do. You can't imagine how they get that way In books the inner most feelings that control the ac- tions of the hero and villain are ex- plained to the reader by the author
 Friends are facts, fastened to everyday life. They are no more romantic nor heroic than yourself. At times you want to get away from that. Books will take you anywhere. By them you can worship strange gods with your ancestors, fight with Arthur's knights at Camelot. fly with Lindy across the seas. be Helen elop- ing with Paris to Troy. or bury pi rate treasure with Captain Kidd. Fairies may dance a spell over you. or Sherlock Holmes will solve a crime that has you mystified. Fact or fiction. take your pleasure according to your fancy.
 Read and the work a day world fades away and another appears. as real as vivid dream. The hero fights more skilfully and more TO- mantically than you had hoped for. Before you know it you are the fighter and the lover. It is you that performs the valorous deeds and it is yourself who loves so gallant!y. Until the end of the tale the spelli