The Wilmington morning star., 1943-09-05
i. S. S. Presents Games,
Books To British Crews

Tyne, Director OF the National d
vision Of Volunteers, which makes
the chests possible.
The letter is as follows: The
contents Of this game chest are
for your entertainment and diver
sion. We hope you get the same
pleasure from using the games
tina. we, as the Volunteer Division
OF the United Seamen's Service.
did from assembling them for you.
Won't you please let US know
if you have any suggestions for
changes for the benefit Of future
chests, 50 that others may profit
by your experience. :"
/ Addressed post cards are then
attached for the convenience OF
/ the men who desire 10 make su5-
gestions.
/ Books provided for the last two
ships were supplied by contrlbu-
tons from the people Of Whining
ton. Mr.. Bartels said, explaining
that some Of the books which are
now in use in the United Seamen s
Service library al the dormitory
in Maffitt Village have been sup
Piled through the Victory Book
campaign. having been contrLDut-
ed by persons throughout the ma
ton.
However, the last two Liberty
vessels were presented Libraries
composed Of books donated by VII
r1ington residents and which rep
resented q wide range of reading
interest.
The types included fiction, mys-
terry stories. detective stories, ad-
venture, biographies and autoOio5-
raphies. as we'll as books Of poe
try.
According TO Mr.. Bartels. many
OF the seamen have yen for poe
try. and request many books OF
this type 10 be placed in each
library Of approximately 30 BOOKS
which is presented TO each vessel
leaving this port.
Wilmingtoniaas desiring TO con-
tribute books may take them to
he Wilmington Public Library in
City hall or to the United Sea-
mems Service dornitory a! Mai
fit Village, Nj. Bartels stated.
The port executive said that in
August total Of 100 game chests
mad been sent out by the Division
Of Volunteers il. New York TO USS
units in Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Norfolk, Wilmington, Mobile, New
Orleans, Port Arthur and Houston.
The chests are then distributed
aboard the ships from those
points, he said
Wilmington United Seamen's
Service organization, which began
operation June !, is the only one
in North Carolina, according to
Mr. Barrels, who described the
Matfitt Village dormitory as a
residential club for the seamen.
Those VINO reside there must be
members Of the Merchant Marine
who have seen duty or who are
awaiting new ships on which they
will embark for service. The men
vary in age from II to 70, the port
executive said, and their stays
here vary from one day to two
weeks.
A total of more than 1900 indi-
vidual room nights have been
spent al the dornltory since June
/, Mr.. Bartels stated.
In the USs dormitory, Mr.. Bar
tells explained, there are SO single
rooms, numerou1 showers, radios,
victrolas with records, writing IA
cilities, games and large library
which is composed of the books
donated by local citizens and col
lected through the Victory Book
campaign, pending their place
nent upon outgoing ships. In this
manner, the books may serve
two-fold purpose, it was pointed
out.
Working with Mr.. Bartels in
carrying on the work OF the USS
in Wilmington are Walter Sprunt,
chairman of the port committee;
W. S. Mcmahon, vice-presldent of
the committee; and William King,
treasurer.
The United Seamen's Service is
one Of II, agencies to receive an
appropriation from the National
War Fund quota Of New Hanover
county which will be included IN
the Community War Chest cam
paign in November, it was an
nounced this week by George
Stearns, executive secretary of the
Wilmington Community Chest.
Less than eight months old, the
United Seameh's Service, with
headquarters at 80 Broadway, has
already established % units
throughout the world for merchant
seamen. New facilities are being
opened rapidly
Preliminary surveys indicate
that approximately IS units will
be needed to meet the require
ments Of the expanding merchant
marine, according to Admiral EN-
DRY S. Land, War Shipping Ad-
ministrator, VINO is chairman of
the Board of USS. Henry j. Kais.
er is president.
Foreign facilities, as well as
recuperation centers in this coun-
try, are operated jointly with the