New-York tribune., 1919-02-25
Col. Hayward
Thrills Thrift
StanpWo orkers
Old Fifteenth's Commander
Given Ovation at First
Convention of Secretaries
War Tales Applauded
Heard Men Talking Harlem
German With a Yiddish
Accent to Get Turkeys

The ovation to Colonel Bill Hay
ward, commander of the "Old Fif-
teenth" New York regiment, and his
speech were features of the first thrift
convention of secretaries of war saw
ings societies of Greater New York
in Carnegie Hall last night
Colonel Hayward's narrative of war
incidents held the interest of the audi
ence. Several times when the speaker
attempted to stop he was urged by
hundreds of voices to so on.
The hall was crowded. Joseph Harti
gan. chairman of the Second Federal
Reserve District War Savings Commit
tee, presided. The Fort Slocum Artil-
lery Band played.
"The war is not won until all debts
are paid" was the keynote of the
speeches. Colonel Charles l.. Withrow
was appauded when he said the sue
cess of the war stamp drive is neces-
sary to keep faith with soldiers who
fought the battles of democracy in
France.
Would Keep Faith With Dead
"They have added new glory to Old
Glory" he said, "and. alas. there are
more than sixty thousand of them who
have added a new color to the flag
the pure gold of devotion that is typ-
fed by the gold star. Keep faith not
only with the living, but with the dead
Keep faith with those who won't come
back"
Martin vogel, Assistant Treasurer
of the United States, appealed for fair
ness in criticism of the American
dole nfrn
store the peace of the world
When Colonel Hayward appeared on
the stage the audience stood and
cheered for several minutes. Colonel
Hayward told of reading an American
newspaper soon after reaching France,
which described in a pathetic fashion
the hardships the men were enduring
in the trenches. He said he thought
the sympathy was misplaced.
I'VE all felt sorry for you people"
he said, because we felt you were
carrying water to the elephant and
weren't seeing the show"
There was one time" said Colonel
Hayward / referring to his own ex-
perience, when my regiment was the
only thing between the Germany army
and Paris: but took consolation in
the fact that on the other hand the
German army was the only thing be-
tween us and Berlin. No German ever
got into the trenches with US who
didn't stay there or else go back with
our brand on him"
Gouraud's Strategy Tributed
The speaker paid glowing tribute
to the strategy of General Gouraud,
who, he said saved the day for civiliza-
tlon by taking a chance" on the occa-
sion of the German drive of July 10.
In oil h<,rr- IL
abandoned prior to the beginning of
the drive, leaving only sixteen of his
men, who volunteered to remain and
set off gas shells upon the approach of
the enemy infantry, and also to fire
rocket signals so that the Allied barrage
might be laid down with accuracy. In
this way, he said, the Germans were
trapped in the Allied trenches with a
whitening artillery fire which turned
the tide of battle.
Illustrating the supreme confidence
of the American soldier, Colonel Hay
ward told how, early in the spring of
1918, he learned his men were buyinng
German marks at q discount from
Moroccan troops, with whom they were
brigaded the coins having been taken
by the Moroccans from German prls-
oners. He asked one of his men what
they wanted with German money.
'Why, Colonel" was the reply, "we're
goin to Germany, ard we can spend il
when we get there"
And am glad to be able to relate,
added Colonel Hayward, that last fal
| heard several Of my boys talking Har.
lem German, with Yiddish accent te
hausfrau, in the Black Forest, bar
gaining with her for their Thanksgiv
ing turkey and paying her with the
money they had gotten from the Moroc.
hof