The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-11-21
e1BBS AllIEIAgE RAII
EMOTIONAL SCALE
Famous Writer'S War Lee
ture Was Best Ever
Heard Here.

Irwin s. Cobb, Americas foremost
humorfst and war correspondent, held
the closest attention of an audience
which. packed to capacity the Grand
Opera House last night. when for a
period of two hours he related in a
thoroughly realistic and Interesting
manner story after story OF warfare
as he had seen it in his several visits
TO war zones In France and Belgium.
Mr.. Cobb paid the highest tribute
imaginable to the vaIor, courage,
tenacity and initiative of the Ameri-
can soldier abroad and related incl
dent after incident concerning the
qualities OF the American soldier
which only succeeded In intensifying
the already high regard maintained
for the soldiers of America In foreign
service. Mr.. Cobb also paid tribute
to the colored troops. many regiments
Of which he had seen in actual service
A note Of warning was sounded by
the lecturer throughout the evening. to
Americans not to boost of what Amer
lea had done or was doing in the great
crisis which has virtually been
brought to a finish. He said that
without a. doubt the arrival in force
in France of the American army had
been the pivotal point in the great
world war as this had completely
broken down the morale and spirit OF
the enemy. He scored the lack OF
preparedness Of the United States gov
eminent at the time we entered the
war and for months after.
Mr.. Cobb stated that his lips had
been sealed up until recently regard
ing this phase Of the situation but
that in reality up until as late as last
May that America had but four air
planes on French soil and two Of these
were only fit for well digging, that We
had practically no arms or equipment
and that all the equipment for the A
e. F. at the beginning had been fur
nished by either France or Great
Britain The lecturer stated that when
General Pershing handed over the
command of the American army IN
France to Marshal Foch there could
barely be mustered one division-less
than forty thousand men-and these
were equipped with French or British
guns, ammunition and were transport
ed to the front on French gasoline and
were fed with French rations- He is
firm believer in preparedness and
! believes this country should have been
prepared for years for Just such an
! prepared.
Mr.. Cobb stated that It was his priv
nege to be in France and to see Amer
ica's fighting forces advanced from
five hundred thousand to a million.
from million to million and a halr
and from that number to more than
two million OF the bravest men that
ever set foot on French soil. ="
The lecturer paid q tribute to all
the fighting forces Of the various al
lied Countries but laid special stress
on the valor and courage ofrthe French
( soldier and civilians. He drew pic
ture after picture which portrayed
wildly the vaIor of not only the Amer
lean soldier but the French. British.
:. Italian and Belgian soldier as well.
His stories brought first Laughter
and then tears to the audience. AS
/, he merged from an amusing situation
IN which laughter was the predoml-
nant emotion, to the climax which
brought about a pathetic scene. the
audience was forced to tears From
the sublime to he ridiculous and from
keen humor to pathos. SO quickly did
the humorist go that a tear was scarce
" dried from the eye OF the listener
untn It was followed by peals OF laugh
ter.
Mr. Cobb was given the closest at
tention throughout the evening and
when he closed his remarks his audi
ence was 10th to depart as they felt
there was yet much which the humor-
ist could impart which would have
been welcomed. Mr.. Cobb was in the
thick Of the fighting and his word
pictures were the best ever drawn
before a Fairmont audience.
He was brought here under the d.
rection OF the Normal school lecture
course and was Introduced by Prest-
dent Joseph Roster Of that institution.