BOOKS FOR THE ARMIES.
[To 77iE EDITOR OP TEE "SPECTATOR."' Sts,—An organization has been formed with the title of " The Fighting Forces Book CounciL" It is important to know that while this has the approval of the War Office, Colonial Office, and Board of Education, and of the High Commissioners of the Dominions beyond the seas, this organization is intended to supplement, and not in any way to overlap, the existing organizations such as the Camps Library, which is the recognized collecting and distributing depot for the books sent through the medium of the General Post Office, the Red Cross and St. John Ambulance War Library, which supplies the hospitals and the Young Men's Christian Association. Through the machinery of these various organizations, large quan- tities of books are being regularly supplied to the forces on active service, naval and military hospitals, and convalescent camps both at home and abroad. The work done by these organizations is, however, (mainly if not entirely) that of distributing agents for the hooks generously supplied by the public and sent by them through the Post Office or otherwise. These books are naturally of a mis- cellaneous kind, and consist preponderantly of light fiction, and the enormous numbers of books issued to the troops (about a hundred thousand weekly) make any systematic selection or classification impossible. It has, however, been found that hooks of a more solid kind are largely asked for by an immense number of educated men now in the military service of the Empire, who find themselves cut off from the studies in which they were engaged and which they are still anxious to pursue. The objects of The Fighting Forces Book Council" will, therefore, be to try to meet this need, and at the same time to assist the existing organizations in every possible way. It proposes to (1) raise funds for providing reading matter of the Lind indicated above for His Majesty's Forces at home and abroad, including the wounded and convalescent and the British prisoners of war ; (2) procure, by purchase or gift, books of this
kind in sufficient quantities, and arrange for their distribution through the Camps Library to the various organizations and corps ; (3) draw up lists of such books required by, or suitable for, various types of men.
The Fighting Forces Book Council is pursuing these objects. not only in concert with the above-named organizations, but also with the support of the Incorporated Society of Authors, the Library Association, the Publishers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland, the National Home Reading Union, and other like bodies. The Council consists of representatives of almost every branch of letters and every side of public life. An appeal is now, therefore, made for funds to carry on its work, and we feel sure that we need add nothing to commend such an appeal to the public. Contributions forwarded to us or to the London County and Westminster Bank, Law Courts Branch, W.C., will be duly acknowledged.—We aro, Sir, &c., E. W. D. WARD, Chairman, Executive Council.
I. GOLLAWCZ, Hon. Treasurer. B. CRESSWELL, Hon. Secretary.
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