The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-28
gibbs FINDS SMALL
MEN BEST SOLDIERS
Analyses Bravery Under Fire md
Pays Tribute to American Forces
and Women Workers,

New York. Feb. 2s.--Phllip GIBBS
was received with great enthusiasm at
he City club. where an audience too
great for the main hall had gathered
TO hear h'n- Many who came were
disappointed because no space re-
naIned even on the stars leading TO
Inc assembly room where he spoke
me audience applauded when
Gibbs was described as ''the finest war
correspondent that ever lived" by
Frederick Vlliiera. the oldest and
most experienced of war correspond
ents, from whom Kiplinr In supposed
10 have drawn THE Niighai' In '"rhe
Light That Failed"
Mr.. Gibbs discussed different types
| of courage displayed By soldiers. He
said that 1t was his own observation.
eorroborated by the opinions OF emf
rent military men with whom he had
/ spoken. that the men from cities,
even those weak in stature and con-
sdtutton, had proved themselves
among the greatest Of soldiers.
( Strangely enough" he said, "the
understood men. who appeared to be
nervous and looked az IL they could
never stand the battle strain, held ont
better than tho bigger men. This
was especially apparent In cases of
she'll shock The big men OF the SER
eeant-major type, the John Bull Eng
ilshmen,' broke up much quicker I'M
der this terrific ordeal Men OF the
little. nervous type, by nerve control
succeeded better in standing this and
| many of the other kinds of strain"
| Mr.. Gibbs asserted that the bravery
OF soldier was not absence of fear
but control over fear and ability to
carry on their work In spite OF fear
There was no soldier. he said. VINO
had not experienced fear constantly,
The apparent cailousn-ss and heart
lgssnees OF the soldier In the fuidst of
death. he said dld not Indicate blunt
ed sensihilities, hut WAS An armor put
on 10 save himself
4 remember" he said. when
sorne Londoners were brought up on
ono occasion after heavy bonn bard
ment in which many lives had been
/ lost There WINS one spot where five
men lay. All with their heads torn Off
by shells. One of the men who saw
| II exclaimed:
"'Oh, say hose fellows have lost
their heads n bttT
In this room ! know that sounds
CHASTITY indeed, but this grim and ter
rtble Jest did not reflect the mood of
the man who made It He knew that
{
ing the same fate In few minutes.
and he was determined not to let this
terrible sight affect his nerve. His Jest
aided him and his fellows IN fighting
or the dreadful Impression Of the
spectacle"
Mr. Gibbs told various other stories
Of the courage OF understood and ner-
vous men, including ono of a little
British sergeant I'm charge of a hand
fui of men, who we're on top OF
German dugout, where they had rea-
son 10 believe a fair-sized nest of
Huns were in hiding The sergeant
caught one German coming out. cap
tured him and asked him If he could
speak English.
Mem" was the reply
We'll, YOU will have TO learn It very
quick" said the sergeant "You tell
the rest OF them In there that they
will have TO come out now or some
thing terrible will happen TO them"
TIE German Developed. sudden
gift of language, descended the dug
oui and came out with some forty
others.
Mr. Gibbs praised the courage Of
the Americans, which. he said. was Of
the highest type He said that no
courage shown by men could exceed
tho fortitude and bravery which hal
been exhibited by French. British,
Bel%ian and American women in
"rarce and Belgium. and ne told
many stories to Illustrate their cour-
age
Mr.. Vifliers, who has reported"
every war since The days ~ the Com
n4ure IN Paris in S7i. told Of his first
meeting with Gibbs In the Balkan war,
and later In the early DAYS Of the pres
ert war. when he said that he had
predicted a great career for the IA
nous young CORES ondent. Frank
Di'not. president OF the foreign press
correspondents IN the United States,
presided at the meeting