Evening star., 1939-11-19
Gibbs Meets Eden,
Dominions Ministers
In British War Zone
Writer Spends Evening
OF Entertainment
With Tommies
BY SIR PHILIP GIBBS.

WITH THE BRITISH FORCES
IN FRANCE, Nov. 10 (N.A.N.AD.-
1t is a very astonishing expert
ence to move about the zone of this
army of ours in France with the aid
OF a military car. which gives quick
transportation from one scene to
another and from one group of men
to another. During the last few
days ! have had a variety of eX-
periences.
One evening, after going into pill
boxes and blockhouses, found my
self in the gallery of an old theater
in historic French town. 1t was
crowded with gunners, fusiliers,
transport men and others who were
cheering and whistling after young
man at the piano, who was Noel
Coward, and Frenchman in a
straw hat, who was Maurice Chev-
alier, had been singing to them.
A French guard in the entrance
hall saluted me under the impress
sion 1 was at least a major general,
because numbers Of that exalted
rank already had taken their places.
I was a little late, having waited
for red ticket that took me
among the Tommies, with whom I
had good time.
Met Dominions Ministers.
An hour or two later I sat down
at conference table with Domin-
ions Secretary Anthony Eden, who
was discussing with a group of
earnest men problems and portents
, OF this strange war We met min
listers of the dominions on road
sides of France and talked with
them informally, hearing their i'm
preSslons.
Next morning I was in a village
close to our line when the alarm
sounded and tocsin rang from
the church tower as a warning of
an air raid. Overhead was flying
high a plane followed by puffs of
anti-aircraft shells and presently by
our fast fighters. So one passes
from scene to scene until ones
10 a lltllC UN SU
many impressions.
Our army, because of our present
system of recruiting and reserves, is
extraordinarily interesting if one is
In search of the types and classes
that make up our nation. l met a
unit today in which the colonel and
his adjutant belonged to the same
business in North England. One of
his officers was a barrister, another
bank manager.
In one of the villages I visited
today was mechanical unit in
which there were many famous polo
players and men who before they
knew how to drive tank or work a
machine gun were huntsmen in
the English shires.
New Camaraderie Lauded.
A sergeant major I spoke with
talked about the difference of dis
cipline formerly and now. He
thought it was all too easy-going at
the present time, though he ad-
mitted that in the old days it was
far too stiff. Personally l find the
new camaraderie very good and not
at all subversive of respect on
either side.
One meets old friends. A night
or two ago I went into a hotel
which was convent in the 18th
century. Going up stairway to
dark corridor I saw at least a dozen
charming girls looking over the BAN
listers. They were English girls.
This. I thought. is not allowed in
an army zone. Then I heard a voice
I knew and was shaking hands with
q man at whom I have often gazed
with admiration across the foot
lights. He was-could that be true?
Sir Seymour Hicks. whom I had
first seen in a musical comedy called
The Catch of the Season." which
belongs to an old dream world of
mine, He had come to play to the
troops and here he was with his
company of players.
I do not exaggerate when say
this is strange, astonishing world
in which I find myself. But it is
interesting and behind it is grim
reality,