BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 62, 7 December 1918, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

Some War Letters. The noble part played in the war by tho English public school boy and young, university man is evidenced in a volume entitled "War 'Letters of a Public School Bov," by Paul Jones, Lieutenant of Tahk Corps 1 (Cassell and Co., per S. and W. Mackay). Lieutenant Jones spent six' and a l haff.,years at Dulwich College, where he won a scholarship in history . and. modern languages tenable at Balliol College, Oxford, and where he greatlv distinguished himself in. the athletic 'arena. Suffering from myopia he failed to enter an infantry corp3 and served for some'-time with the Army Service Corps, arriving in France in July, 1915. .A fine French scholar, be did good service as a requisitioning officer, and was in charge of ammunition working party on the Somme in 1916. ! Eventually, in February,. 1917, he was, appointed lieutenant in the TankCorps'and took part as a tank officer jn tho Battle of Arras in April. Shifted to the Flanders sector, he was killed by a sniper's bullet outside Yprcs in the battle.of July 31, and was buried at Zohnebeke. The letters which form the bulk' of "this book were well worth preserving -and printing, showing, .as they do, the" noble ideals of life and conduct, the enthusiasm for all that a good and worthy in life by which the young public school boy was actuate;!, and exhibiting also many striking evidences of the fine literary, taste and high mental culture generally- of their writer. The letters from the front are deeplv interests, reflecting, .as they do. the point of view from which ahighly educated young Englishman, profoundly interested in politics, literature, nnd the social reform movement regarded hie evory-day military life, and howintense was his anxiety, that .the war. Bhould : eventually brine; out the nobler and better character of his fellow-coun-trymen. A brief but well written and interesting" memoir is contributed ;by .Lieutenant. Jones's, father. This is a book which is-specially suitable for the shelves of a secondary fidhoo'l or university library. (Price, Bs. 6d.)