Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-11
BRITISH CORRESPONDENT TELLS
OF UNUSUAL WAR PRIVILEGES

spot. where he was met by another rider,
and by a series OF relays II reached
the military wire-perha thirty miles
away. When we got into Germany, at
Cologne, the wire was so far back It
was impossible 70 send daily dispatches
We had TO restrict ourselves to mes
sages two or three times a week. But
| want to emphasize that never before
were correspondents given such privi-
leges--ne"er before were they allowed
TO see the reports of division, corps and
army headquarters.
I'VE tried to tell the truth" said Mr.
Gibbs. and his face had reminiscent
gravity. when we know the truth
we have something to build on. We've
got TO work with the boche in future.
We've got to help the German Liberals
cut the canker from their flesh. When
we got into Germany, somehow a great
deal of the hatred seemed to drop away.
You cant hate German woman. you
know. who has lost four sons In the
war. You can't hate the children. Our
Tommies didn't hate the boche. They
went on killing him in large quantities.
but when he was behind our lines n
prisoner they treated him like a pet
monkey
4 And the Germans were badly
whipped. and they knew it, Very early
I'm the game-from 1916 on--we could
/ tell by the prisoners we took that the
boche knew he was done for. The Ger
/ man troops were very bitter at their
! leaders who had tricked them. led them
on and on 10 the prelcpce. OF course
in their big drive in 1918 for r. short
while they really thought things were
going their way again.
But in the end they knew they were
dore in. talked 10 all sorts of people
in Germany--wai,ers and 9hambermaids
and shopieepers---they all said the same
thing. And they had an enormous sense
OF relief that the long agony of blood
shed was over. Also they were far more
afraid OF anarchy at home than OF Eng
lish, French or American occupation.
They welcomed us. and by the re-
quest Of the Burgomaster OF Cologne we
entered that city one week before sched-
ule time"
Reticent as to Himself
Mr.. Gibbs is very, very reticent as to
his own personal experiences during so
many bitter months. He acknowledges
what a terrible strain on mind and heart
and body the daily chronicing was I'VE
couldn't write Edgar Allan Poe stories
of horror" he says. "it wouldn't have
been fair to the people at home whose
boys were on the battlefield. But the
horror was there.
Now that the fighting is over, perhaps
some OF the horrors can be told, little by
little, in the hope that such a war may
never come again. or course, I'm for
the league of nations. And, perhaps you
don't realize how the minds OF plain
people In Europe have focused on Mr.
Wilson as the man who above all others
is trying TO prevent these horrors in
future. The reception he got In London
was simply stupendous."
l.. Mr.. Gibbs's visit to this country is
unfortunately, very brief. He expects
10 be back in England in April, and may
then go TO report events in Germany
for his newspaper. the London Chroni.
Gle. He is II little bewildered by the
warmth OF his reception in this coun
try, but he is very glad, in his modest
way. For he thinks that the sacrifices
of the war will have been made largely
in vain unless Britain and America
stand together in future, as they have
in all essentials, the same code OF think
ing.
, This quiet little writer. who has seer
perhaps as much Of humanity's cslvar,
as any man on earth, has noble anC
. | enduring message. II looks out of hi
steady blue eyes. that seem it'll
, blurred. a little sunken with the visioi
of so much tragedy. We walked dowi
Walnut street in the soft spring twilight
and he visited the Office OF the EVENING
PUBLIC LEDGER, where he was photo
: grapheG and talked TO some OF the mel
who had printed his dispatches as the!
? came over the wires in the days of th
I war He seemed refreshed and gladdenet
. by the cool quietness OF lndependenc
: Square. He has had feverish mont
IN New York, feted and driven py a.
, the hospitable fervors OF that grea
l city. Looking at independence Hal
'Tm glad didn't miss it, he said sim
ply He says all things simply whic
! ia one of the secrets OF his power an
\ his unconscious charm