New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-04
Brokers Unfurl Flag and
Make Wall Street Ring
with "America"
ENTHUSIASM OVER
WILSON'S ADDRESS
"Star Spangled Banner"
Turns Grill Room Diners
Into Cheering Mob

A wave OF patriotism swept over New
York City yesterday.
Wall Street reacted first from the
news. Feverish trading stopped on the
floor of the Stock Exchange. A huge
American flag was dropped from the
ceiling. Cheer after cheer went up.
A. Montgomery, jr., began to sing
America" Other brokers joined. A
throa.s and then the notes of the ma
tional anthem flowed a mighty river Of
sound through the narrow streets OF
the financial district.
Then came more cheers. A man be-
gan 10 sing The Star-Spangled Ban
ner." Once more the floor traders
joined. Once more Wall Street echoed
with patriotic chorus. As it did. men
here. and there outside the exchange
building began 70 sing. Others, hurry
ing 20 and from Offices, paused and
swelled the chorus. Ncwsboys stopped
hawking their extras to lend their
shrill pipes 70 the sound. In New
Street, Exchange Place, Broad Street
even as far as William and Pine
SbIttJs lut4I SLpDptO anu
Impromptu Talks on Patriotism
Scarcely had the song that rocked
Wall Street ceased than Henry Clews
began 70 talk TO his clients and en-
ployes gathered in his Office on the
ground floor of the Mills Building on
patriotism. In other Offices other bank
ers and brokers were making similar
impromptu addresses.
Tho news swept uptown. Great
crowds assembled before the bulletins
in Newspaper Row. Men clustered
about the news tickers waiting. for the
most part in speculative silence, for
the text of the Presidents address TO
come over the wire.
The corridors, Hobbies and uptown
brokers' Offices in the hotels buzzed
with excitement. Newsboys. for the
first time. it is believed. in the his
tory Of hoteldom, were allowed 20 cry
their extras in the Hobbies of some cs-
Establishments.
On the second mezzanine floor of the
McAlpin, in a brokers' Office, despite
the fact that the market had closed. q
score of men, tense with excitement.
read the Presidents address as it came
over the ticker. They broke into spon-
tsneous cheering at the stronger pas
sages.
Hundreds Voice Same Thought
In brokers Office at the Waldorf
Astoria a dozen middle-aged men bent
over the ticker in silence. They read
eagerly. drinking in each word OF the
Chief Executives pronouncement. At
the passages Of more than ordinary sig
nifcance they looked meaningly into
each others eyes. No word was spoken
until the address was complete.
Two men spoke then. Said one:
well, the President felt we had stood
all we could stand" Said the other:
at was coming TO them. They ought
10 have got it after the Lusitania sink
ing" The extent to which these two
remarks reflected the general feeling
was appreciated when. III the course Of
. subsequent tour Of all the larger
hotels. they were heard from the lips
OF literally hundreds OF men.
The crowd at the McAlpin grill last
night looked, TO all outward appear
ance, like a normal Saturday night
crowd. Ernest Hussar raped for the
attention OF his orchestra. The first
few notes hoated into the room. u
was the "Star Spangled Banner
Every man and woman in the grill
sprang TO their feet. Napkins were
tossed into the air. Toasts-" 10
America"-were drunk. Cheer followed
cheer. This was New York's reception
TO the Presidents stand.