Evening journal., 1898-07-11
MUSIC IN WAR
The Various Purposes for Which Har-
niOnic sounds Are Utilized
MiIitRrIly.


To the present day, in all the armies
Of the world, musical war signals are
considered not only useful, but abso-
lutely Indispensable. The infantry
drill regulations of the United States
army give the music and significance
of more than 60 trumpet signals-calls
of warning, of assembly, of alarm, OF
service, with such names as guard
mounting" drill" "stable, ,r"to arms"
"fire," retreat" "church," fatigue"
attention" forward" halt quick
time" double time" charge, ''lie
down." rise" etc, besides a dozen or
more drum-and-fife signals, all of which
must be known to the soldiers, 10
whom they are definite language, in
the senses of Wagnerian leitmotif.
Everyone Is familiar with such express
sions as drumming up recruits"
drumming out deserters," and so on.
Besides its importance for signaling
purposes, there are no fewer than fge
other uses for music in the army. A
few words about each of these must
suffice. Zoener, the African traveller.
says that "among all savage and half
civilized races. song and dance are con-
sidered as indispensable aids to military
training, as drilling and drumming in
our armies" The marvellous precision
| with which these primitive races eN-
ecnte their war songs and dances has
been commented upon by many admir-
| ing explorers; and as the value Of per-
feet driN and cooperation is well un-
derstood, music, which supplies the
regularity of rhythm, is seen TO be of
paramount Importance. When our
armies parade they always do so TO the
measured beat of military band or drum
and fife.
Another very curious use OF music
In war is suggested by the word 'panicn .
The historian Rowbotham says that "all
panic is deriyable from trumpet-like
sound, II we may trust the derivation
of the word, which refers the first
panic to the time when the great Pan
put to flight an army by sudden
shout" Many savages use wild songs
and shouts. OF drums and horns, TO in
spire terror and to create panic In the
enemy's ranks. SO horrible Is the
sound of this music, both in itself and
by its bloody associations, that II Is
said the Spanish settlers in some parts
Of South America to this Cay cannoi
hear the awful trumpets of the In.
dians without being frightened. Il Is
interesting to note that Homer repre-
sents the Trojans as going to battl,
with bowling war cries, while the
Greeks are silent, and that Thucydidei
makes Brasidas say; They are COW
ards who think they Gun frighten us bs
their loud shouting;" thus indicating
that the more civilized Greeks did no
resort TO this method of creating panic
1t is believed that one cause of the de
feat Of the Chinese In their last war wa
that they at first relied too much on tn
effect of their war songs to frightei
away the japanese.
A military writer says that the drum
in the army is used Especially for in
spring the soldiers under the fatigue o
march or in battle" This function o
: military music reminds one of TIA
primitive custom of singing in order Z
facilitate work. 1t is recognized by tn
greatest authorities. Field Marsha
Lord Wolseley, for instance, wrote no
long ago, in the preface TO the $50
dier's Song Book" that:
Troops that sing as they march vii
not only reach Their destination NOR
quickly and in better fighting conditio
than those who march in silence, bu
inspired by the music and words Of n;
tional songs, viii feel that self-coni
r dence which is the mother OF victory
? The German army includes more tha
g 10000 military musicians, able-bodie
S men who might as well be soldiers W
C may feel sure that the great and shrew
:, commanders Of the German army woui
- not employ in times OF war such a
- enormous number of musicians un,es
{ they believed that in this way thes
e players could do more good than a
8 equal number of fighting men. In othS
,. words, the generals fully appreciate an
p indorse the utility of music. Even
d times of peace there is a use for thes
{ musicians; for they make eNceller
n bands, which, at their daily parades an
( weekly concerts, not only edl1y the mi
itary men, but entertain the populac
), who thus get some return for the take
2 they have to pay to support the army.
2 Summing up the evolution OF wa
D music, we see that its original functio
: of inspiring terror and creating pan
0 was gradually abandoned; while il
= usefulness as an aid in drilling, in Ia
: tics, in signaling, in arousing coural
a and patriotic enthusiasm, in sustainiu
q tagging energies, and in providing Ell
v tertainment in times of war and peac
is now more fully acknowledged tina
d eyer.-Forum.
, BattIeships and Cruisers.
= II tell you" said Jayson Spriggs, "a
!, this talk about our not being prepare
= for war has been simply buncomb