The Washington times., 1932-02-12
(continued from Page y

some practically bandit forces.
harrying the invading troops.
Ecenting the coming shift IN
Operations, he flew to Port
Arthur and started for Shang'
hal.
Covering tn 1hanghai oper.
ations, Gibbons has "mopped up
lin impressive style. His eye-Wit'
ness stories of the menace to the
International Settlement, Of the
seething panic in the Chinese
quarter, of the dreadful carnage
from shells and bombs in the
fiimsily.built suburb Of Chapel,
and finally IF the assaults on the
Woosung forts, are classic exam
pies of the art of journalism, the
nice dovetailing of complete. ac-
citrate news with graphic descr1p-
tive and keen human interest.
No other newspaper correspond
ent's dispatches have approached
these of Gibbons in clarity, In
vivid color, in wealth of detail.
And his messages on the general
situation, his analysis of the STRAIT
egy employed. and the acticS used,
his forecast of future phases Of
the operations have been un-
equalled.
Way back in his days as a
cub reporter in Minneapolis, Glib
sbons began to develop two Of
the essential qualities Of an ace
newspaper man.
/ And it was to his mother,
directly and indirectly, that he
5owes this training, he says. It
was his kindness to and thought
fulness of his mother that gave
Gibbons the practice in analyz-
ing his stories and developing
their possibilities, that gave him
his resonant speaking voice, clear
apronounciation, complete enuncia-
.tion and rapid-fire continuity.
Gibbons began newspaper work
in Minneapolis in 1907, at the
sage of 20. Born in Washington,
The had attended Georgetown Uni
verSity for a year, then aban-
sdoned the course when his
Pal CA4CS II4OVCu away
Talks Stimulating
He soon was promoted to
police reporter. It was night
work. Late stories, breaking
after midnight. frequently kept
him out until dawn or later.
But always his mother was wait
ling up for him when he returned
home.
4 In these nightly sessions, Floyd
fused to tell his mother of the
days happenings. Keen, alert, in.
sterested, Mrs. Gibbons would
prompt her son to recount the
nights news. Avid with curiosity,
s,She would elicit all the details of
every "story" by her searching
Questions and rapt attention.
Z They would ponder crime myS-
sterieS together, specializing on
Elnotives and underlying reasons,
seeking by induction and deduc-
gtion to elucidate hidden points
which baffled the detectives.
These constructive conversations
with his mother increased the
young mans interest in his work,
tactuated his thinking processes
into deeper reactions, forced his
imagination, and opened up vast
new perspectives.
Gibbons has often stated that
.dt was these nightly talks at home
with his mother, over crackers
and milk, that formulated his
amazing propensity for detail in
shis work.
Reading Aloud Aid
8 Later, when his mothers eyes
sbecame dimmed with advancing
years, Floyd read aloud to her. He
continued this practice, almost
daily, after his family went to
Europe, and when they lived to-
Ngether in Paris.
The reading.aloud habit was
to stand Floyd in good stead a
few years later when he took up
radio work. Always a good story
teller, with his forceful, convinc-
ing manner, Gibbons daily read
ling of newspapers and books to
his mother developed his elocu-
ftion, gave infection and a wide
range of emphasis to his voice,
and soon developed the resonant,
clear tone so useful on the air.
+ Contant reading aloud taught
him, too, the knack of photo
.graphing entire paragraphs OF
copy with the eye, and then ap-
fparently <eciting them without