The sun., 1915-11-14
COBB CRUEL CRITIC
IN BIRDSEYE'S VIEW
Sergeant Of the Name Says
Writer'S Adjectives Belle
Life in Trenches.
HATES WORD 'DISGUSTING'

THE SIN has receircd from Wr.
F. T.. Sisson. ricc-presidonf OF the
Lesdn Advertising Agency. 40 Fourth
arenue. the ioiioUing letter from
X. w. Birdseye. nor sergeant IN the
English army and on the French front.
serDt. Brdseye wos formerly Mr. Sis
sons secretary. He is a Canddidr and
a college man. His letter iollous:
SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. Sept. 90
It's a bit cold on tn, fingers this last
morning OF September. but since I've
found n piece of paper free from mud
and only moderately damp I'll have at
you Immediately. A letter in the en-
velope is always worth several in the
bean.
'Ive just been down to tie store TO
buy some woodbine cigarettes at four
pence a package. The stan OF said store
consists of a French family OF Ave; "A
man incapacitated for service by the loss
OF several fingers. his wife and three lit
tie children. When ! arrived papa was
scrubblng the fam!ly's collective face--a
wee madcmoiselle Of I, very tangled.
and tow headed Lucien OF ., and the
baby. The latter not being very steady
on his pins when the ear process WAS
reached, he consented to grasp one Of
my fingers In order TO submit IN more
diSnitied posture. These are the nearest
civilians to the line in this region. No
doubt they are refugees and have lost a
homo somewhere. And yet they prob
ably have more real money now than
ever In their lives before. for soldiers
are good customers and seldom haggle
over the prices put upon the eternal Gig
arctic, candies. French bread and occa-
| sional canned stun.
THE little folks are unusually bright
and interesting and II would he pity
II n shell should drop through the roof
one OF these days, as II IL more than
likely to do. one shipped the top from
tree some ten yards from our own
home here two days ago and exploded
not much further from the 'store.' with
out hurting any one. however. Before ]
left this morning Madame insisted on
my having very good cup OF coffee.
DisIikes Writer'S Terms.
"Mr. Irwin Cobb's article was chiefly
interesting because you sent II. Some OF
his statements were true and some rather
highly colored So far as | know he ~
correct about Continental mourning.
There is scarcely home in France. rs
must be the case In any great war in a
conscrpt country. that has not lost some
one. and many have lost an appalling
number OF their males. and il Is on sun
days and church holidays that this fact
comes home most.
ha NJ
ture.' the incident OF our little store. one
OF hundreds, bears him out. There's
! plenty OF red tape, and undoubtedly Mr..
Cobb knows NOR. Of its transportation
/ phase than !. for have not ridden on a
! train In seven manths and half, and
have seen only three in that time. Three
days in cattle car covers my Cont
mental rail experience.
1T is when Mr.. Cobb's narrative APP
! proaches the firing line and trenches
, upon the soldiers life and death that he
gets monotonous. for he paints stern con-
! ditlons not in stern terms but In dis
gusting terms. so that l should like to
place my big muddy boot on his $50
suit
There is a difference between dirt
and Nth, between swearing wesriness
! and drivellng exhaustion, 'slobberine
horses ane struggling line OF men.
even though they can and do drop Ia
sleep In a ditch. a puddle. a pig sty or a
COW stable. We do sweat. but we don't
stink we don't get Mr., Cobb's baths
but We do wash and shave
: Dead men may not be heroic sights
hut they are not particularly disgusting
unless blown to pieces or unburied far
too long, like those English and Ger
man bodies | saw in smashed trenches
at F'iStubert months ago.
I'VE haven't had a band since Eng
land. but the new regiments have
them, and the lure and inspiration
Of music. be II full band or mouth
organ. is as strong rs ever II was. We
may have lost the romance OF flags and
gay uniforms. hut ! have seen more
picturesque scenes in one year than Mr..
Cobb will see IN a thousand years OF
high paid de luxe globe trottings Crude
they may be- bur II Mr.. cobb could
paint In words the million mighty pic.
lures OF the soldiers candle alone he
would go down TO posterity among th'
immortals. And there ~ nothing dis
gusting about them. ! never did Ike
TINT word.
Not safe as Spectacle.
Il am pretty sure MIR. Cobb never
actually saw men going into charge
Pen pushers aren't wanted there. More
over, II isn't particularly safe. for there
Is no bomba rdment without a comeback
and few attacks without a counter. TIL,
writer's usually stick back with the staff
II they are permitted that close whel
there IN anything on.
mo doubt men are nervous when th'
final tes. comes, the order to go ovel
the parnpei' There are other time!
when they arc nervous, too. and will
reason. This has ever been known I,
, happen IN civilian life. and perhaps viii
less reason. Men may he tired or no
at such n time. but when the momen
, for nervousness comes the tirod fsslint
will usually take back seat