The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 354, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 24, 1918 Page: 29 of 70
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HOUSTON . DAILY-POST: ;SUND AY. MORNING MARCH. 24 19 1 8.
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Patriotism has' been denned by eynlo
.) superior veneration of ml ostatev
Th mum feUbw who negotiated this
. eholoe morsel of philosophy would prob
ably define a man's lor for woman
A u ft superior vanerttlon of bom powder
''- ; The trouble with patriotism tbeee dare
'Im that there are altogether too many
'. ' ' folka trying to deflne It ' "
" The man who define tilings forgets
-. meantime to feel thing. And the one
and only good round honest blown-ln-
the-eork American definition of patriotism
' X can Ma today la this: ' '
I . The United 8tates of America first last
and all the time multiplied by two.
L . . That's tha haalnnina and the and of It
; '. And to that end every blessed American
'' .must do must want to do his share
. toward mdktng' that period ft treat bl
-V '. unmistakable 'period.' These are not the
days for comma patriotism or semicolon
'''-' ? patriotism. This Is the period of the
period. The thing must bo 'flat un-
i equivocal final.
WHIN PATRIOTISM .
if U EASY. ' .
' It's easy enough to be patriotic In times
of ease and peaoe. It's easy enough to
. stand up on .a chair In the Bal Tabarln
V t" la Paris during peace times 'and war a
vV bottle of champagne in the air when the
band plays "The Star Spangled Banner."
And It's no great ordeal to feel s little
' " molat around the' pupils When you're S000
. . miles away from the Battery on a pleasure
'''' : trip and when you hear an orchestra play
..' a. homesick bit of Irrlng Berlin. But
' :'f that sort if. thing Is patriotism in the
.'" ' same degree that fighting a punching bag
' la valor. The test- of patriotism is the
test that ft nation's peril addresses to that
patriotism. It's easyi enough to sing
"Sweet Land of Liberty" but It's Httle
bit harder to guarantee by your actions
that your children will be able to keep
on singing. It
' An did vaudeville monologue goes on
. to say that all the mean streaks begin to
show up after the marriage knot has been
tied. The holes In' patriotism begin to
show up after the knot that has bound
nations together In the bonds of peace
has been cut And that Is lust the time
there must not be sny holes. Not even
a single little pin-prick.
"United we stand divided we fall" Is a
'fin motto for a blue banner with a lot
of gold lace around It ani a fine thing
. to oheer while the bands are playing and
the parade is going by but cheering alone
never won a football game or a prise fight
- or a war. The place then is not on the
curb but In the procession. And- In the
procession with runs and money cart-
ridges and cannon ' balls! The man who
can't carry a gun can be there lust the
saitie carrying a rol lof bills to help carry
the boy who's carry the gun. It's not
merely a ease of "lending a helping hand"
the mere hand won't do so much good
it'a a case of lending the government
very spare dollar you can lay that help-
ing hand on.
( Wo are not going to whip the Germans
by cutting ' sauerkraut and frankfurters
off the menu. That's neither war nor
patriotism. To win we have got every
one . of us in our different and most
appropriate . ways to make concrete the
deep firmly grounded but until now
abstract patriotism of our hearts. We
must distill that patriotism into the ma-
terials of war; we must convert what
was erstwhile an emotion into Iron and
ateel; we must sing with our hearts
still true enough for the spirit of the
nation must go to victory with a song
on Its lips but we must at the same time
think clearly with our heads and pro-
vide the wind for the. victory-song with
all hands and feet working the bellows
of the organ. . I
A VERY PECULIAR
ATTITUDE.
The German who has left Oermanyfor
ft home in the United States where he
hss achieved peace and plenty and hap-
piness and who still cherishes an affec-
tion for Germany la much in the.posl-
. tlon of a man who has divorced fits first
wife married a second time for the bet-
. ter and in the belief that he Is promot-
ing his own happiness continues to boast
Cm nift Oftir ain
Reviews of the Late Books and Magazines
. Some Beoeht Publications Beeeived
by The Poit
Oenerals of the Sritlsh Army. By Fran-
cis Todd. Published by George H. Do-
ran company.
" This portrait gallery of British generals
represents In epitome the drama of Brit-
Ish history. Several of the biographical
studies have' been reprinted by papers
throughout the United Statea
Each of the omoera who flaura hera has
behind him a varied story of fighting in
strange places under all sorts of condi
tions as wett aa In the tense atmosphere
oi moaern seienuno war; eacn oi tnam
has first had to struggle against heavy
odds before arriving at the conditions
which t present obtain on the western
front They have all com through a
- fiery trial to command large bodiea. of
troops In the most terrible struggle of
aingrr
ftklnnera
fa Idea. Br Henry Irving
' Dodge. Pub!
niBiisnea oy uarpsr sros
." A ew kind of hero Is discovered by
Skinner who himself was the hero In
' "Skinner's Dress Suit" and "Skinner's
. saoy."
The new hero la an Idea. Skinner
taoklea the nreMeml of advancing middle
. age in Business ana ins result is some-
; thing altogether unlooked for.
In tho Paths of the Wind. By Glenn
Ward Dresbaoh. Published by the Four
;.. neaa ruoiiinina; oompany.-
The fine feeling .for rhythm and lyrio
harm and the mature insight into the
real ties of life which this new book re-
veals will not disappoint Mr. Dresbach's
admirers.
:; . ' t' .'".'.' '"! : '
With the Authors and Publisher..
Miss Anne Morgan author of . "The
Asnerloaa Girt." published by Harper'
Brosv baa Just returned ' to America.
For the last 10 months she has been
encaged In reoonstruotlon work in France
and baa come back for oonferenoea with
the various oommltteos which aro con-
tributing to the work Mias Morgan has
carried Into her work the same Ideals
which. In "The American Girl." ahe
points out to young women ways of serv-
loo for all times. Irrespective ot war or
'...Mora than 1000 Prlnoeton men are In
the war Tho class of 1917 had 100 msm-
kera t aervtoe before It graduated. One
those. . SMftrt Wakwtt aoa wf tho
to his present loving wife of ttio su
parlor virtues of the first wife who
treated him like the devil and who mads
his We a misofy. . .
s ' America la the past has held her arm
open and. widesprsad to thess Germans.
and tn her' land they have oorae to. grow
wealthy and glad; la it not sorry thing
to see frame of them now attempt to
betray her lor tna very welcome sno gave
thsmf Are they not ft sorry misguided
lot ft lot who: onoo the war Is over will
see the grim error into which they have
been led and repent when it Is too later
' .There Is no longer any room for two
views of patriotism. There U no longer
any room for national bigamy! Aman Is
loyal to the .United States' and an enemy
of Germany or ho Is not a loyal Amer-
ican. He can't be loyal to both. The
gully has appeared between the. two hills.
The stand that every German In America
takes must fee eleariyatlhouetted against
the heavens. v f
"B Pluribus Unum" Is no longer merely
the motto of the United States; It Is
today the motto of the united peoples!
One country one people one flag one
aim and that .aim' ft triumph of arms
that peace may be brought baokr last-
ingly to the-world that men may live
again In calm tranquillity that the finest
truest spirit of democracy may prevail
through all the lands and the seas of the
globe. The sort of democracy that gives
peace an equal ear In the great hall of
debate with war lust the sort of democ
racy that must Infallibly return peace.
In the debate an overwhelming victor
TYRANTS
ARE ANTIQUES
The day of tyrants has- gone. The
present-day despot swaying his subjects
into the paths of blood against their will.
must go the way Of his brothers of ye
terday. There are plenty of small Islands
In the remote seas to house this despot'
and there are . picturesque rocks on the
Islands to serve ad backgrounds .for new
steel engravings that will make doubly
Impressive the lesson of that other steel
engraving we know. The Imperial hot-
head Is aa out of date s the "imperial"
hotel of a jerk-water theatrical one-
night stand. Like that hotel what he
needs and needs badly are a lot of
modern improvements Fltat he needs a
good bath (preferably of some Very strong
antiseptic); second he needs a complete
new system 'of ventilation (preferably as
I have remarked the small Island kind)
and third and finally he needs a new
bedroom the kind -in which he can sleep
undlsturbed'for a long long time (pre
ferably a cettietery).
In one of Galsworthy's plays called
"The Mob" . there is ft scene where the
central character unmoved by the pleas
of patriotism and standing like a rock
against the clamor of war. all about him.
suddenly hears the .approaching rattle of
the drums and the marching on. of troops
and bahda and is swung then into the
great tide .of patriotism w the tread -and
music the sound and fury of the moment
I fear there Way be some such among ua
But that isst the kind of patriotism that
counts either.' That last minute kind is
discounted. The man who loves his coun
try only when he hears a brats band can't
be counted on. The bands may all be at
the front some aay-i-ana what then;
FINEST AND
TRUEST PATRIOTISM.
The finest truest patriotism. Is the pa
triotism that thrives In even the remotest
corners on the ilmple American air It
breathes the kind that has Its roots In
the yesterdays that is omrtipresent ever
positive. Every man without exception.
Is a. patriot when he lonesomely oatches
sight of an American .flag In an unexpect-
ed and forlorn quarter of the world and
every man is a patriot when his crying
stomach at last manages to get a good
old boiled New England dinner from some
mislaid American In some remote Bui-
garian hamlet; but that's the kind of pa-
triotism that wears red white and blue
suspenders and doesn't see why It should
have to buy liberty bonds when It can get
a quarter of a point more Interest on a
bond Issued by some railroad- that runs
between Tompkins Corners and FlshvlUe
out in North Dakota.
There are some kind of patriots who
secretary ot thS Smithsonian institution
lost his life' flying in France in Decem-
ber 1(17. His splendid letters-describing
the service training and fllgnts and
life in an aviation camn. ark to be nub-
llshed soon by the Prlncetnn university
press.
"Heredity and Environment in the De-
velopment of Men' by .Edwin O. Conk-
Un (Prlnoeton University Press) having
had five printings In two' American edi
tions has now been published in Japa
nese. . The hook was translated by Pro
feasor Tatsu a well known biologist for
the Bunmeiko-Kwai or "Civilization So
clety" of Japan. The society engages
along with other enterprises. In publish
ing Japanese translations of standard
wonts in lorvign languages. .
Kudyard Kipling is the most popular
writer among the Americas soldiers In
France aooordmg to Alfred M. Brace
supervisor of JourrMUsm in the State uni-
versity of Nebraska who has been "over
Wm German Women Hold Out!
(From Nashville ' Tennessee n. )
Will the women of Germany stand the
strain T How much longer will they en
dure tho sight of. their babies starving
from waht. of food and freezing from want
ot adequate elothlngT - . ;
Gertrude Atherton predicts : that the
time la dose at hand when German wom-
en wilt ask themselves these questions:
"Who started this war which haa brouaht
destruction on Germany and desolation
upon the rest of the world f For what
purpose arc we BgbingT it Germany be
gan m oraer.to gain tne ireeaom oi
the seaa - for her expanding commerce.
does she have this freedom now when
not a German merchantman is afloat T
And who over molested German freedom
of the seas anyhow T Who ever threat-
ened Germany or refused to encourage
her rapidly iaoreaslng trade?" A
If German women should answar thaaa
question Intelligently among themselves
there might be some very startling hap-
penings In the kaiser's domain while tne
men are away at war. And that la just
the supposition upon which Mrs. Atherton
bases iter novel -ine wnite Morning"
(Stokes). This powerful story traces the
evolution-of the spirit of umresi in Prus
sia' -the rise of ft strong leader among
th. women who la Spite of an Intense
love affair merits the eonddenoe and re
liance tnat are piaoea in oar throughout
all .the events that lead tb dawn-
believe that they are doing their duty by
being what rosy be called Internally pa-
triotic; that is by knowing themselves
that they are patriotic and keeping quiet
about it They are" like the soldier who
totes ft gun but keeps the cartridges In
his pocket In times like these which
the United States la going through ft si-
lent patriotism IS about aa .much Use to
the country as a silent alarm clock would
bo to a country commuter.. There Is a
difference mind you between patriotism
tflat merely makes a loud noise and pa-
triotism . that Is eloquent Eloquent
patriotism Is the match that sets fire to.
the hearts of the nation. In time of war
patriotism Is to the nation what the fire
bell la to the country town. When the fire
breaks out' the mere silent belt i
does no
good. It needs ringing!
We each of us. In this hour of our na-
tion's need have our tasks set oht for us.
Not merely the men of affairs the men
of money the man' trained to arms but
every mam from Capo May to Coronado
from Palm Beach to Niagara Falls.
Every nan frotn the humblest to the
greatest are- brothers now aa they've
never boon before .-brothers of the de
mocracy 4rho shoulder to shoulder must
march In body or spirit In voice and In
millions or pennies against the common
foe. The burglar la not yet In our house
true enough but he's prowling around
the chicken coop In the back yard and
ho seems to have been doing some tall
prowling in that quarter for some time
past
NOW IS THE
TIME TO 8h00T..
It would be nonsense to wait as one or
two misguided gentlemen have argued
until he climbs up the porch pillar and
begins: running tho sharp diamond across
the window pane. The time for getting
out tho dusty old revolver and the' time
for using it to tho full of its six Cham-
bers is now.
It is the worst of all platitudes to say
that a man loves bis' home and his fam-
ily. It should equally be the worst of all
platitudes to say that since a man's
country Is his . home and family multi-
plied as In our own United States by a
hundred million he should love his coun
try just about a hundred million times as
much.
It is said that before the war the Ger
man emperor observed: "I know Ger
mans; I know Americans: but .German-
Americans I do not know!" Well that's
precisely what we Americans say back to
the amperor today. There can be no German-Americans.
A man is a German or
he is an American; he can't be both or
even half way both. These are no times
for the lukewarm. . Allegiance must be
undivided absolute. A man can't stand
up when the band plays "The Star Span-
gled Banner" and also stand up when it
plays "Die Wacht Am Rhein." He's got
to pick his national anthem and stick to
It And he's got to pick It not with his
mouth but with his heart!
Patriotism is a warming thing. It com
mutes the glow of the individual to his
uy it snouia equauy ne me worst or an
neighbors. It makes the nation a neigh-
borhood. It brings a territory thousands
of miles broad around the stove of the
corner grocery store; it brings the feet
of a great republic to the fender; it
warms and thrills nd makes coxjr and
comfortable. The man who lives In a
country whq lives and thrives and makes
his fortune there and who does not love
his country is like the man who has mar-
ried for money. He is not to be envied.
Please God there are not any like him in
our mldat today!
We are rallying around the flag boys
as we naven t raiuea in a long long
while. Let us all join hands in an un-
breakable band of blood and steel
and gold and love. And let us with the
unbreakable band 'crush the throat of the
snake that has tried to coll Itself around
the staff of the American banner!
Worth While Quotations.
He Is a capitalist
Who sees the rainbow and the liKht
When shadows and the storms appear
Hath vision far faith serene and bright
And meets each task without a fear.
Ing of ft terrible "white mornlnj' a lay
of reckoning in Prussia.
Trench- Goisip According to Ian Hay
"Trench gossip Is a fearsome and un-
canny thing" says Ian Hay (Major Belth)
In "All In It'v the continuation of "The
First Hundred Thousand." It usually be-
gins life at the 'refllllnr nosts' where the
A. 8. C. motorlorrlaa dumn down next
day's rational and the regimental trans
port - picas u up. .
"An A. 8. C. sergeant mentions casually
to a regimental quartermaster that he
has heard it said at-the supply depot that
heavy firing has been going on in the
channel. The quartermaster on return-
ing to tho transport ltnes observes to his
quartermaster sergeant that the German
fleet has come out a( last The quarter-
master sergeant when he meets the ra-
tion parties behind the. lines that night
announces to a platoon sergeant that we
have won a great naval victory. The
platoon aergeant. who is suffering from
trench feet and is a constant reader of a
certain posalmlstio halt-penny journal re-
pllea gloomily:
" 'Well have -heavy losses ourselves
too I dootf This observation is over-
heard by various membess of the ra-
tion party. By midnight several hundred
Sraa or tne firing line know ror a lact
re haa been s naval disaster of the
first magnitude off the coast of a place
which everyone calls .Gaily Polly and
that tho whole of our division la to be
transferred forthwith to the near east
to stem the tide of calamity.
"8U1L we must have somethina to chat
aoout. .
; The Inoome Tax.
An excellent handbook on the new war
taxes 0k provided In J. Frederick Baam't
Tour War Taxes' (Moffat. Tard).
The law is .printed In full. The explana-
tions of the income tax provisions and
related matters were prepared with the
assistance and advice of such men as
Secretary McAdoo J. 8. McCoy tax spe-
cialist of the treasury department and
Luther F. Speer chief of the Income tax
division of that department - The ex-
planations are accompanied by illustra-
tions whl'h make clearer the course to be
followed by the cltlsen who haa taxea to
nay either on hla own business or pro-
fession or as member of a firm or cor-
poration. Senator Simmons chairman
of the senate finance committee con-
tributes an introduction.
Arnold Bennetfe "Metiage."
That Arnold Bennett haa great oower
to "sanction and fortify the natural hu-
man passion for believing that lire can
somehow behind all the miseries and
the mysteries mean somethtna nrofound-
ly worth while'' is the opinion of Helen
Thorn aa Follett-and Wilson Follett ex
pressed in' their recently published vol-
ume. "Borne Modern - Novelists." In one
of the tnost u)ogltlsi papers la the vol-
.1-'
mm
OF THEE -
V'-...v -L.
I - ... 1 A I s V I I " I I i v I
EVERYONE CAN
LIBRARY DRIVE
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
Wanted Books for soldiers; at least
2000000 of them more If possible: must
be good readable' books preferably not
of the type that has outlived or mistaken
its usefulness. '
This is the message from Washington
that is causing . librarians all over the
country to spend such a busy week pry-
ing books . away from their owners. It
explains why laundries grocery stores
and other establishments In some cities
have suddenly made the collection of
books a part of thir business; why book
boxes now stand side by side with mail
boxes on the street corners and why
everybody from janitors to wealthy so
ciety ladles are demanding your book.
Already thousands of books are pour-
ing Into the libraries in. answer to this
appeal of the American Library associa-
tion. But there Is still need for thousands
more. Here Is an opportunity says the
association for everybody to do some-
thing for American soldiers. Many of
us can not knit; many can not afford to
buy a liberty bond but few people are
so poor that they can not give at least
one book and a good book to this
American war library.
General Pershing has sent word that
he would like to have BO tons or 100000-e
books a month for his men In France. A
dispatching officer is now maintained by
the American Library association at each
port of embarkation and every steamer
that leaves the United States carrying
troops to France also carries many
shelves of books. Special two-shelf book
1-anen are Droviaea ov me association. 1
which may be fitted one on top of the
other so that he books take up very
little space and yet are available for use
on the way over. In France the books
are turned over to the Young Men's
Christian Association and Knights of
Columbus secretaries to chaplains and to
Red Cross units for circulation among the
American camps.
In addition to maintaining this exporta-
tion service the American Library asso-
ciation also maintains cirulating libraries
Some of the Best of the Eecent Publications Ttkm From Msny Source. ; '
Together.
How close we draw in this our time of
trial.
All patient comrades In a dedicate land I
Now rich and poor are one In self-denial;
The brave North grips the bravo South
by the hand.
How email it Is the world that bleeda and
suffers!
Sea-sundered folk united in one dream.
Sending their best on tho crusade that
Their rainbow banners following the
gleam i
How old the call of justice and of honor
To generous hearts good men and
women truel
But with the badge of righteousness upon
her
All freedom armed to conquer waf how
( newi
How great the victory of peaoe wo strive
ior
In brotherhood the weldlna of that frel
At last toaether one ideal we liva far.
America England France the glorious
By Abbie Far-well Brown of tho Vig-
ilantes. Pennies.
By THEODOSIA GARRISON
of the Vigilantes.
(PARI8. Jan. 8. Children of the public
schools of Paris have sent circulars to
the school children throughout France
asking them to subscribe one oent each
for tho adoption ot Americau war or-
phans. The movement was introduced
at the Bercy. school In Paris in recog-
nition of the action of American school
children in adopting French war
orphans).
Jeanne and Pierre and (he little Marie
Are sending their pennies over tho sea
To "Lea petits Amercains" left aa hey
Fatherless comfortless In a da. ;
Pitiful pennies yet each must seam
Uko the hoarded wealth ot a miser's
dream
To these who have cheerless days to live
Before that penny is theirs to give.
Pitiful Dennles vet never ft king
Gave a more wonderful perfect thing
Tho choicest gem of his treasury
Than Jeanne Pierre and the little Marie.
O courteous hearts and generous
Great la the giving you send to us
How can we take with undlmmed eyes
The fruit of your baby sacrifice?
Wo may forget tn the caving years
COUhTRY'TlS
HELP IN THE WAR
Sffifi
From Washington Is
With Hearty Response
at 34 training camps In this country and
is rapidly getting them installed at naval
bases and on ships.
This is the first attempt evtfr made In
an American war to keep libraries In
reach of an army. If anybody had ven-
tured to suggest such a thing during our
war between the States he would have
been regarded as hopelessly Impracticable.
J. S. Lockwood a war between the States
veteran says that to the best of his
knowledge no books were furnished the
soldiers of the sixties with the exception
of a few . that were sent to hospitals
around Washington and in the North.
Occasional copiea of Harper's Weekly
Frank Leslie's Weekly reached the
camps but these did not make) up for the
lack of books which was felt so Intense-
ly that a couple of English grammars en-
joyed an overwhelming popularity among
the men shut up in Libby prison.
Since the war between the States the
American appetite for reading has grown.
No people in the world .has so enormous
an appetite for print
When the American citizen gets up In
the morning he makes a bee line for his
front door where deposited on. the mat
la his morning newspaper the standard
accompaniment to his breakfast. In the
evening coming home on 'or In the car.
he reads another newspaper and when
the evening meal Is over on the nights
when he does not go to a movie he reads
a book. Man is a creature of habltsX and
In Americans the reading habit is firmly
and unalterably rooted.
Take this American citizen and put
him in a training camp miles from the
nearest news stand with five hours of
leisure to be disposed of every night and
he is apt to act like the Monk of Siberia.
"Many people seemed to have gath-
ered the Idea that the soldier in training
does not have any time to himself owing
to the arduousness of his military du-
ties." complained an army officer a few
dava aao. "and I should like to assure
every one of these mistaken individuals
that he has a period of leisure from mess
Something of horror and pain and tears
But never as long-as love may stami.
The little coin In the outstretched hand.
Jeanne and Pierre and the little Marie
Are sending their pennies over the sea.
Stand Fast John Bull.
Stand fast John Bull five million strong
In the treacherous Flanders mud;
Stand fast John Bull to crush the wrong
With sword and fire and blood.
Stand fast John Bull with your heart of
steel
And vour flat Hire a batterina ram:
Stand fast till the Infamous Hun shall
feel
The weight of your Uncle Sam.
We are coming late to the fight John
Bull.
But our course at last lies nlain:
We are out to stand for the right John
nun.
Through all the terror and pain.
Not In haste or In hate or wrath.
We oome as the flood tide flows;
Our sons are 'taking the warrior's path
John Bull; not In vain you arose.
Not In vain these three years long.
Belgium Russia and France
Britain and Italy battled the wrong .
Broke the thrust of the devil's lance.
Tqur foes had eaten our bread. John Bull
And stabbed us within our door.
Our men have seen their dead. John Bull
We are oomlnc to settle the score.
R. B. G. in Philadelphia Publlo Ledger.
The Lads Away. .
AD the lads have gone out to play
At being soldiers far away;
xney won t oe oaca ror many a aay.
And some won't be back any morning.
All the lassies who laughing were
When hearts were liKht and lads were
here.
Go sad-eyed wandering hither and
there
They pran and they watch for the morn
ing.
Every house haa Its vacant bed
And every night when sounds aj dead.
Borne woman yearns for the olllowed head
Of him who marched cut in the morning.
Of all the lads who've gone out to play '
There's some'U return and some who'll
. stay:
There's some will be back 'most any day
But some won't wake up In the morning.
Lieutenant Contngsby Dawson In Good
Housekeeping. -.)
I ri ju; i m rniiMwuv rj in ritar rin put
1 Cam r JET MyJCtl" Takih H'L tor My MQriey v
' wns-fi I CAri cerr y an 4 ANywHews .mA
CoveR M1TNT5 GOT a loTTA HERV6 ! TRSr
T Go OVtr.AH
which occurs at S o'clock in the evening.
until tapa are sounded 1 at 10. Nothing
can speed these Hours like dooks.
There are .occasional glee club concerts
and vaudeville shows in camp but these
do not make up to the American man for
his dally glimpse of the sporting page
or his favorite great American weekly.
Indeed experience has shown that camp
life only tends to aggravate the Amer-
ican craving for print. The mental con-
centration required In performing military
duties and the stimulus afforded oy
many new impressions usually produce a
more serious frame of mind and ft man
becqmes Inclined to study.
Thus with some surprise the American
Library association finds that the great
est demand among'men In training camps
Is for technical books rather than for fic-
tion. Thousands of requests have been
received for text books on radio engineer
ing military tactics electricity motors
and chemistry. One day six copies of a
standard text book on electricity arrived
in one camp and the next day every copy
had been charge out
The American training camp has be-
come more collegiate than the college.
Many of the men are anxious to win
commissions and with this end in view
aro studying certain special lines. "The
fellows work and study a good deal
harder In the training camps than they
would In a university" says Raymond B.
Posdick. "This war Is a highly special-
ised affair. It's a modern science which
the men must learn by studious applica-
tion to the problems of drill and trench.
They acquire the habit of study of ap-
plication. In the training camp of today."
A story showing a distinct cqntrast'be-
tween the American training camp and
American university however is told by
a librarian working in one of the western
camps. It seems that a youg reserve
officer In returning a book to the camp
library remarked that it war the first
book he had read in four years.. The
librarian was then curious to know what
the young man had beeikdolng those four
yeans. 'XJoing to the University of Mis-
sissippi" he announced gravely.
. Nevertheless in spite of tho wide de-
mand for technical books there is a.lso a
demand for fiction. Burton Stevenson a
well known American author who volun-
teered as a librarian for one of the camp
llbrariles says that the most popular
book on Its shelves was "Huckleberry
Finn" and the second most popular was
Tom Sawyer. jacK London o. Henry
j Conan Doyle Kipling Poe Booth Tark-
The grocer thought one day that he
'would like a steak for his dinner as a
change from the bacon so he sent bis
little girl across to the butcher for one
pound of steak.
On receiving the steak he thought he
might satisfy his curiosity by weighing
It and In so doing he found It to be four
ounces llirht of wela-ht.
He brouKht it across to the butcher
and said: "What is tho meaning of only
giving me 15 ounces of meat Instead ot
one pound 7
The butcher calmly replied: "I lost my
one-pound weight so I had to use your
one-Dound nacket of tea."
A new workman on a fartn went in to
hla breakfast one morning and he was
supplied with very hard bread. In the
middle of the day the farmer came out to
see nis worn.
"Well." said the workman "that wife
you have is no good.
wny? saia tne rarmer.
She Is not able to bake bread at all."
She baked It before you wei'e born'
said the farmer.
'It must be some or tnat I cot for
breakfast" Said the Workman.
A well knbwn Hampshire squire noted
for his shabby coats was one day leaning
over a gate which commanded a good
view of his broad acres.
A well pleased smile was on his lips
when ha was startled by the sound of a
wheedling voice near him.
"Ule ua a nana oia cnap to noip my
poor old donkey up the hill.
The saulre turned and. with the smile
deepening on his face pushed the little
cart behind with so hearty a good will
that the coster explalined with admira-
tion: Wall I'm An-nAil If VaiI -1 n'f mia
old spoA. I say" he went on In a whis
per rv KnocKea over iwo or inree oi
the soulre's rabbits and I'm darned If
you shan't have one." '
Whereupon with a great appearance ot
secrecy he pulled out a fat young rabbit
from under a sack In the cart ana trotted
awav. leaving- the bewildered saulre with
one of his own rabbits dangling from hla
hands.
A schoolmaster one day was trying to
explain to his class the term booking as
applied to 'our railway system. "Now"
he was saying "can any of you tell me
the name of the office at which railway
tickets are sold T Right" he continued as
pupn answered correctly.
At this moment hla oy fell aa gman
' v -. r r 0;-. - -j. y v:' . '
Live IN A TREHCHI
Ington Dumas and H. O. Wells are- all
popular authors. Shakespeare - la sur-
prisingly popular In some camps. Says
one libralrlan: "F expected the first call
to be fer a London or McCutcheon book..
Instead I was somewhat taken 'aback to
have the first man ask for Shakespeare's
'Pericles.: " .-". .
In camps where men are brought f rort s
all walks of life there Is naturally a wki
diversity In choloe of reading. Borne- of
the men are well educated and others are
not. A few can not 'even read or write.
Thus when a librarian in one camp asked
for an assistant the offloer In charge ap-
pointed a private who could neither teaut
nor write. k ( .y (.tt
On the other hand many of the camp
libraries have difficulty In supplying the
bookf demanded by' the better educated
men. Olye day ft private asked the libra
rian of his jmp .for a book on eleetrio.
motors. When the librarian gave hint
what he considered his best book on the
subject the man exclaimed:' "Oh 1 did
the drawings for that book. I want some- t
thing better Jthan that" ' . ' ; f
In view of so 'many unexpaotM requests
for technical books ther American Li-
brary association has bee compelled to
spend a large part of the million dollars
collected by popular subscription last (alt
on such volumes. The construction taxi .'
maintenance of libraries in the various)
training camps and the provision of books
have also icost a great deal. Sines -tha
work has Increased to such a" great ex
tent it has been placed under the direc-
tion of Dr. Herbert Putnam of the L1-
brary of Congress. '.
The time has come however when" tho
association can no longer afford largo ex .
penditurea for new books the maiatn-
nance of the Si camp libraries alone cost
ing more than 1100000 a year. Tho asso-
ciation has organised tne work erected
buildings under great difficulties and has
furnished the men with nearly' 400009
books.. It is now up to us the civilian
American public to do the rest' .
One thing more: In giving books to .
this war library do not make it an op -portunity
to get rid of those you don't
want. A complete set of "Elsie book
or faded volumes of the feminine faint'
ing period or back copies of the Under- -taker's
Review will not be accepted.
Books of an Improper character more
over will neVer reach the soldiers their -literature
being censored as rigidly a '
thst of a young lady's finishing school. .
boy at the end of tho class who was errt-
dently paying very little attention to what
was said.
"Did you heaf that Dickr he da
manded. -
"Wot sir?" said the youth Innocently. !'
"As I thought you were not listening.
We will suppose that your father decided
to have a day's holiday and visit the see
side. What would he have to do before
he could take his seat in the train T"
Without a moment's though the young- 1
star electrified the master by replyint
"Sell his tools."
'
An English an Irish and Scottish sol-
dier were returning to camp after ft stroll.
They were footsore sad tired and ft kind
ly farmer on his way homo from mar- .
ket gave them a lift on tho road.
The soldiers were very gratful and
wished to reward the farmer fof his kind-
ness.
Said the Englishman; . "Let's stand him
a drink!" -s
"Sure." said Pat "that Is agin the lw.
Let's give him some backy!"
"Hoot ma laddies!'' interjected tho
Scot "Don't be extravagant Let's
shake hands with the mon and wish him
a guid nicnt." .
As usual Mrs! Subbubs enlivened the-
dinner table conversation with an account
of the new servant
I don't know much about her yet" she
said "but she Is god natured and harm''
less." .-..''..... ;'.'. .
"How did you find that outt"
"By her alncina. She is always singing
at hef work." '
'That's no sign." saia Sir. BubDUD. - -
mosquito does that!" .
I didn't much care about the way .
Josh's clothes looked down to camp"
commented .Farmer Corntossel. r . '. .
Hasn't he his regular -uniform t" - '
Not yet If they're going to keep htm
Sr eased that Way in hopes ot deceiving
ie enemy Into thinking he's Just an ob-
soure peasant or something -what I say .
la that It's carrying this new kermoofUng
too farl" . . . . t i
He seated himself in the grill and mad '
a protracted study of the menu. "Walt-
er." he said at length. "I have only M
with me. hat would you sVcommendf
The waiter gently removed the card fro
the hand of the unsophisticated sirs ng . 4
as he replied; "Another restaurant
. 3 M.
r''f.
.V"
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The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 354, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 24, 1918, newspaper, March 24, 1918; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth608781/m1/29/?rotate=270: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .