The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-07-22
POET WRITES OF THE SOUL OF THE
 FRENCH SOLDIER French Pacifist Fighting in Trenches to End War by Beating the Boches REFUSED EXEMPTION TO FIGHT MILITARISM Owes Life to Illness Which Sent Him to Hospital Just Before His
 Squad Was Completely
 Wiped Out

Paris, July 1.-Henri Barbusse, the fla nous French poet is convalescent for the third time since the war from serious intestinal trouble contracted in the trenches.
 When the Germans entered French ter ritory Henri Barbusse, who was known as an ardent anti-militarist and inter- nationalist, and who was exempted from military service, promptly volunteered. He was assigned to noncombatant serv- ice, but this was not what he had volun- teered for. He wanted to fight, and at his urgent request to the trenches he was sent
 l have just visited him at his home, which reflects the fastidious tastes of a poet. The house is filled with care fully chosen antique furniture A fifteenth century stained glass window has re- placed the ordinary one in the library engraVings yellow with age curios with history oozing from the dimmed surfaces emphasize the fact that here indeed is the home of a connoisseur.
 My first question was, why did he wish to fight?
 Hatred of war and anti-militarism. was the quick response. The time had come to fight for a principle-to fight against militarism. The pens of vigorous and capable writers could not stamp it out, so one has now to fight it out and end 1t forever.
 When l left for the front it was with the conviction that my last book was written. believed my life would be sac riiced for my ideas. I was willing All during the first year of the war I took no notes, but l mastered the argot and freshly coined trench talk-partIy from curiosity, partly to be as one with these rough, hardy plaster-nlen of the squad that 1 was in. Their mode of expres- sion was to be my mode. It made closer union between us.
 Later on I began jotting down a few incidents of the life underground but very briefly. There was not the opportunitv II was only in the hospital that I col lected my thoughts with the aim of writ ing book-a book of war-realism. one that tears off the veil of suited heroism, a false covering that hides the suffer- lngs and misery actually endured by the men In the trenches" This has been done in his new book, 'Le Ecu" from which quote:
 Tn preparation for an attack the men quietly take their places Every one of them recognizes that he is going to be a target for shells, hand grenades and ma- came guns before he can reach the en- eny, whom it is his duty to kill They are not reckless of their lives nor blind With wrath like savages. They are not the sort of heroes they are thought to be but their sacrifice is nobler than those who have not seen them will ever be able to imagine
 There has been a protest among some literary men against ''Le Ecu" for it's almost brutal representation of trench warfare. I appealed to M. Barbusse for the sridier's viewpoint for the fear has been expressed that the book might have. demorallzing effect on the fightingS men.
 tOn the contrary" he replied. "the er- feet has been uplifting and comforting. nave had over 800 letters from soldiers from poilus up to officers-expressin to me their thanks and admiration for hav- Ing shown trench life as it is Nothing irritates the soldier so much as to read the mawkish stuff that is printed, such phrases a going to an attack with smil- Ing faces They feel that the people do not appreciate their true heroism, their hardships in battle, or the monotonous misery of trench warfare"
 speaking of the difficulty of under standing the jargon of the poilu's trench Jargon M. Barbusse said, with a whims- cal curve of the lips, T already have a long list of words with a question mark sent me by the editors For exam ples. shells are invariably dubbed sauce pans coffee juic2' etc.
 Barbusse is editor in chief of the Magazine Je Sais Tout, and has pub lished several books. His first volume. a book of poems was brought out when he was in his twenties The work that made him generally known was "I'En- fer" which was considered for the Con- court prize in 1909
 Barbusse wrote "Le Ecu" in the hos pital and dedicated his work to his com rades who had fallen beside him at Crouy. He declares that he is alive today only because one of his illnesses sent him to the hospital. In terrific attack his squad was practically wiped out. He has already received the crofx de guerre and has been mentioned several times for bravery.