§ Mr. GILBERTasked the Secretary of state for War whether the recent appeal delivered by the Post Office to the public for spare books for the troops to be sent to the camp libraries has been issued with the sanction of his Department; whether he is aware that the Rationalist Press Association has supplied free during the past four years quantities of good scientific literature by Darwin, Huxley, Tyndall, Mill, and others to the various camp libraries; whether this free supply has now been refused by the directors of camp libraries; if this refusal has the support of his Department; and, if not, will he at once take steps to remove this ban on books and literature which is much appreciated by all classes of the troops?
Captain GUESTAll appeals through the medium of the Post Office have been made under the authority of the Postmaster-General and the Secretary of State for War, but I understand that no such appeal has been issued now for several months. I am aware that the Rationalist Press Association have presented the1778W literature mentioned by my hon. Friend. The camps library is, however, now only a medium for the distribution of works of fiction, other arrangements having been made by the War Office for the supply of instructional and educational works to the troops.