The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-28


 ent. turned lecturer, has reached New York. blind in one eye and his arm in sling-mute evidence that news paper men in France are induring the real dangers of warfare. Mir. Gibbons comes back to America to lecture un- der the mana cement of Selwyn & Go, but it is understood by direct sanction of the "G 3 R. the press division of the general staff of the American sx- peditionary forces. His message is not only to tell Americans about the war, but to warn them about the German peace drive" which, he says. every- body in France believes will come sometime in the winter.
 Floyd Gibbons is a young American. who first came into prominence in the latter part of the Mexican revolutions. His work in Mexico and in France gave him a name for daring among his fellow workers long before the Boche machine gun sprayed him with steel, and shoulder. and before his heroism there in aiding wounded marine of ficer off the field. All these gained for him the Croix de Guerre-the first of the coveted French war decorations to be obtained by an American corres- pendent.
 He did not know until informed by newspaper reporters at the pier that he had been awarded the Croix de Guerre and was in the midst of entirely impsr- sonal praise of the American marines of the Fifth and Sixth divisions, whom he had accompanied at the Boisse de Belleau fighting when he was told of his own good fortune
 SAYS HE'S FLABBERG ASTED"
 'Goshl' he said, That certainly flabbergasts me" Then for minute or two he fussed with the sling which held his wounded arm, and whistled for time. My gracious, I didn't cx- pect thatr' he said finally in s voice which quivered a bit.
 MT. Gibbons told briefly of receiving his wounds while lying in an oat field at Boise de Belleau, He told of the heroism of Maj. John Barry of the Fifth division of the marines. who went over the top with his men and into whitening fire near Boise de Bal leau.
 T was with Major Barry said Mir. Gibbons, and as he could give me the information I needed I stayed with him. We finally tucked down into a young oat field where the protecting growth was less than three feet, and as the Germans had evidently dscov- cred the presence of an officer there they turned a heavy fire into the field Major Barry was badly wounded in his arms, the bullets seeming to run along from shoulders to hands, and as> I was wounded I picked him up and started for clump of trees about 25 yards away
 :" got bullet first in my left arm and then in my left shoulder, and when we were about ten yards from the trees l got the bullet which fractured my skull and took my eye. After that 1 knew nothing, but it seems that Major Barry crawled over to the trees and sent some heroic stretcher bearers out after me when they arrived at that point. When you are around the marines it is always the same-some one looks out for you" SURGEONS WONDERFUL MT. Gibbons expressed his amazement at the wonderful work done in the Amer ican base hospitals, and declared that he had time and again heard wounded men beg to go to them in preference to any other.
 My own case is a typical instance. ' he said. 'sThe arm wounds were not serious at all. but this blowing away of bit of skull structure near an eye is rather bit of hard work for surgeons. Yet within 10 days I was out of the hospital feeling like two-year-old and impressed for the rest of my life with the efficiency, kindliness and speed of Ameri- can surgeons. My most reserved comment l is they are wonders and no mistake" l MT Gibbons really blushes when forced I to talk of his own exploits. But he IS l eager to deliver a message about the ex- ploits of American troops in general be- fore American audiences. But those who (know Gibbons as we'll as he knows him. self tell of many things he will not dis 1 cuss--of how he sought passage to Flu
 rope in ship likely to be torpedoed, and how he was successful in leaving on the l La conia, which went down in February
 last year; how he tried every danger which would allow him to write intelli- l gently of the fighters situations, went into the German lines in a British tank
 and flew over the German trenches 1T 1 q British bombing airplane.
 l MT Gibbons went to France before the United States entered the war, for his
 newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, and has
 been in active service in the field ever I since.
 FOCH PRAISES AMERICANS | A letter he brings from Marshal Focf says of his lecture tour, NO one is more qualified than you to do this after youl brilliant conduct in the Bois de Belleau The American army" continues the SUI 1 preme allied commanders letter, has
 proved itself to be magnificent in spirit | in it's real worth and vigor; 1t has contributed to our successes. If you car
 thus be the echo of my opinion am surs you will serve in good purpose l When Mr. Gibbons began to talk of the war at the Ritz-Carlton his words choked in his mouth-he had thai many things to tell and wanted to tel to tell them all at once. Only when ths interviewer strove to get word or tw' about Floyd Gibbons was there a break.
 "Why, I don't think there is one of thu correspondents over there who hash l seer as much fire as any of the officers If one gets hit-why, he gets hit, that all"
 1T was at Chateau Thierry," he said Tt was great. The American machin gun men cut up the Boche until tn river was piled up with them--machin I gun outfits that had never been in actio