The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-28

Knocking about somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean there is a particularly fine bunch of Amsri san sailors, who might be well fixed iE this worlds goods today-if they hadn't been typical American sailors. They were the gobs who represented America, and about all of civiliza tion that was still functioning. in those recent days when rapine, fire and massacre were abroad in smyrna. One little incident, one of many, comes to my mind. Tat Gfeek merchant, one of the kind especially prized as rich picking by the Turks, came rushing down to the quay where our gobs were performing their evacuation duty. It was on that fearful Friday, the fifteenth or September, when flames and the averaging Turk had driven the huddled refugees along the water front to a frenzy of despair.
 Fifty thousand dollars! Fifty thou sand American dollars!" screamed the Greek All of them I give you put me on one of your boats"
 Heidi. heidi, (Turkish for "Go on or Take the air') returned the eob. He had seen too many Greek and Armenian merchants trying to get away with their possessions to De much excited by the sight. Amer iea's word of honor had been passed that only her own nationals were to be evacuated, and the gobs were there to see that America %ofa was made good They passed up, with a laugh all sorts of easy money cash, expensive rugs sewels. In tho Sar,a rairhborhoD1 repreSen- tatives of another government had set up a table and were selling pass ports publicly in the street, lylHS passports, for whatever the fright ened refugees were wiling to pay, regardless of the fact that the gov ernment behind the passports had no way of giving the promised protec- ton. The American sailors knew this. and they knew. also that mere promise to pass q refugee out to one of the American ships in the harbor would bring many times their little forty dollars a month. They played the game, according to the rules set by Washington and the American naval officers in Smyrna. .Hei-di nei-df" they said, when bribes were waved in their faces. It was about the only Turkish phrase they knew. they used it on avery occasion, and it seemed to fit especially well as applied to the brib- cry stuff
 One of these days there will be a big reunion of the men who served under Admiral Bristols command through those terrific days in the Near East, and doubtless the pass word will be that sau/e Turkish phrase Heidi. Hei-d!, It is the most graphic term added to navy slang since the universal "toute- suite" Of the early days of the great war. and seems likely to be- come even more popular.
 Baseball Methods fin Saving Babies
 But the gobs discarded the "IIei- di. heidi stuff" when it came to evaeuating the thousands of chil- dren. of all ages. who, thanks to America were taken away from certain death in the ruined city. Sailors carrying babies were com mon sights. The baby might be up- side down. for the l.. $. navy does not go in for nursery training, but the look on the gob's face as he stro1led along indicated he had per soual feelings Of responsibility that were not unpleasant. A woman would be trudgng along with all her worldly possessions on her back, a baby in her arms, two or three more hanging on to her skirts, and a general mixture of dirt and despair covering all of them. Then. along would come a gob and remark. with several gobbish adjeetives. Here, give me the kidrt The mothers didn't understand the language. but they did understand the intentions. and their gratitude was heart breaking To see. It would have been heart- breaking. at least, if heart-brealling sights hadn't been so common that nothing could "feaze" man very much after a day or so of if.
 The gobs hated to carry bundles. rithough they would do it if it came 70 a. pinch but carrying babies seemed to be accepted as part of their- job. A gob with a baby came in for a good amount of kidding from fellow gobs who passed him. he repaid the kidders in the best American sailor repartee. There was humor. a good deal of it, in the midst of the destruction.
 A kind of climax, both of humor and of tragedy, came when terrified mothers began throwing their babies over. high iron picket fence that guarded the approach to the pier from which American ships were taking off the refugees.
 There was of course, an awful jam at the gate in the fence, with salvation on the one side of it and