The Washington times., 1935-09-13
Rv JAMES L, KILGALLEN

BV JAMES L. hALOAAAGAN
NEW YORK, Sept. 13.-Floyd
Gibbons is now 48 years old-a
time in life when most men think
of taking it easy-but this IN
trepid correspondent is proceed
ing to the Italo-Ethiopian front TO
cover another war with all the
buoyancy and enthusiasm OF a
youth half his age.
Gibbons has had an unusually
colorful newspaper career OF more
than a quarter of century. He
was born in Washington, D. c.,
July 16, 1887. His father, Edward
T. Gibbons, an advertising man.
died in washington last Novem-
Der, His mother, Emma Theresa
Phillips Gibbons, died in Paris IN
1925.
After graduation from George
town University, Gibbons joined
the staff of the Minneapolis Daily
News in 1907 and was later with
the Minneapolis Tribune and the
Milwaukee Free Press. He then
went to Chicago, worked on So
cialist paper for a while until it
folded up and then got job on
the Chicago Tribune. This was
in 1912.
Starred as Reporter
He became a star reporter on
the Tribune. He first sprang
into prominence with a series OF
vivid articles from Mexico when
he accompanied Pancho villas
troops in the rebellion of 1914.
He was with Gen. John j. Perish
ing in the famous punitive expedl'
ton into Mexico in 1916 and sub
Sequently wrote widely published
series exposing conditions ot
poorly equipped state guard troops
on the Mexican border.
The World war broke and, in
1917, the Chicago Tribune sent
Gibbons to London to report the
conflict. He was passenger on
the British liner Laconia when
she was torpedoed 200 miles off
the Irish coast with heavy loss
of life. Gibbons was among the
survivors picked up and landed at
Queenstown. He wrote marvel
Gus story of that adventure.
Loses His Left Eye
Gibbons joined the American
Expeditionary Forces on the West
ern front Immediately upon their
arrival in France. He was on
practically all the battle fronts
during the war.
At Chateau-Thierry where he
was following the first wave Of a
Marine attack he was brought
down by a German machine gun
ner who pumped three bullets into
his left arm and shoulder and
shot out his left eye.
He spent month in hospital
back of the lines. Then he .'e-
Joined the war correspondents at
Meaux, press headquarters for the
Chateau-Thierry battle. Shortly
afterward, however, he was called
back to the United States to lee
ture and assist in the Red Cross
drive.
He was one OF the first cor
respondents in Russia when the
revolution started. He covered
various fronts during the foreign
interventions in Russia. Later
during the terrible famine which
swept the Volga region and the
Ukraine, he visited the scene of
the scourge and witnessed the
plight Of the dying thousands.
Brought Food to Hungry
He made his way back, alone, to
Moscow and filed dispatches
which resulted in the United
States rushing food and supplies
to the stricken area.
From one big story to another
this adventurous correspondent
went. He was in Ireland during
the "black and tan" outbreaks.
He rushed to Berlin for the
'putch" to overthrow the German
republic in 1920. Afterward he
sped to Poland for Budenny's
Red Cavalry drive on Warsaw.
He covered the election of Pope
Plus in Rome. He went to Vienna
and described the Socialist riots
and outbreaks in that city.