ENGLISH FOR THE TURKS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—You will no doubt remember that, rather more thai) a year ago, you kindly permitted me, through your valuable columns, to make an appeal for second-hand English books with the object of forming the nucleus of an English library for our School of Galatasaray here. I have delayed writing before because books still keep coming in, and I am sure it will interest your readers to know that the appeal in question has met with the most unexpected success, some two thousand volumes having already come to hand, dealing with the most varied and interesting subjects. These books have arrived not only from the British Isles, but from the most distant -places of the British Empire—Tasmania, Australia, New Zealand, Libya in Italian North Africa, Rhodesia, Egypt, various parts of 'India, Canada, &c., to say -"nothing Of parcels from British residents in European countries such as Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Norway, Finland, Estonia; Malta and many others.
As far 'as 'I know, every one of the rarcels in questifin has been acknowledged personally, either by myself or some one of my students. It has been, and still is, an enormous correspondence, as you may well imagine, but it is well worth the trouble. Should, however, any of your readers by chance not have received an acknowledgment of their kind gifts, I beg them by the present to accept the most sincere thanks of the school administration and myself personally for their contribution to our shelves. The library is now beginning to " grow " by itself, as I have made it a rule that everybody who uses it shall present one volume annually, which is being done most willingly.
It may also interest your readers to know that another entirely unlooked-for and extremely beneficial result arising from the appeal is the fact that, for the last year or so, I have had, and still have about eighty of my boys corresponding regularly with English and Colonial boys, thanks to which some really striking friendships have been struck up. Mean- while, thanking you most heartily for being so kind as to insert my appeal in the first place.--I am, Sir, &e., HERBERT M. THOMPSON, B.A.
(Professor of English in Galatasaray, Lisesi) Golatasaray Lisesi, Slambul, Turkey.
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