The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-23

army THE Presidents march" was al
ways played as part OF the ceremonies
incident to the. reception Of the Chief
years by naval ships when honoring
our flag, There IL no other air in use
In shss country which has a like claim
The word song is used advisediy.
poem HAIL Co,um hfa" in 1873. and the
tine England and France were at war:
ous~awn. people were divided in their
sympathiss and the strictly neutral at
France to the point Of threatened hos
tilities. On the 25th Of April Of that
year the old Chestnut Street Theater in
pni,adslphla annesneed tina. = oenefst
Ming for Mr.. Fox. well known singer.
drawing card was wanted: the pros
poets for full house were not en-
couraging and the young singer begg-
ed Judge Hopkinson to write patric-
tic song for the occasion. the verses to
az the nausie os the then well known
Other writer's had tried Ii, but the
tempo made II difficult to adapt flowing
words OF point and elegance. Judge
task for his young friend. How well he
acquitted himself we all know. Stir
ringly patriotic as the words are, still
the melody's association with George
Washington is enough TO condem It
In the navy when our ships are In
foreign waters and the vessels carry
bands II has long been the custom to
colors In the morning by playing the
national air OF the port and then to
follow in the order Of seniority with the
present. Other navies do the same thing
under similar conditions.
With number Of European countries
using the melody Of America" for a
national air the paying OF this COM
piiment involves some confusion and
repetition in international assemblies,
that action was taken BY the Navy De-
partment twenty-od years ago. In
July Of 1889: Ice years after The Presi-
OF George washington. the Secretary
OF the Navy. Benjinin r. Track OF New
York issued the following order;
II order TO insure uniformity the fol-
morning and evening colors on board
of all men Of war in commission and at
all naval stations:
When a band is present II will play:
A. morning coiors. The Star Spang-
| led Banner"
At evening colors,. Hail. Columbia"
milton and the first place was accorded
the air OF THE Star Spangied Banner
This was q mistake. because IL gave
OF a foreign eomposition as a part OF
governmental ceremony in the honor
OF the Stars and Stripes. an emblem
teACauSiFcay RAItN6 IN iIS DtTIu ana SIG
nifacance. A good many Americans viii
be surprised TO learn that the music
generally identified with Keys poem.
Tho Star Spangled Banner" was
written originally for an old English
drinking song.
| In the second half Of the eighteenth
century, . coffee house. known as the
Crown and Anchor stood on the Strand
! in London; and II was there that a con-
vival club know AZ The Anacreon-
| tic'' met for music and n festive time.
The president of the society at that
time wrote an ode which he entitled
"Anacreon In Heaven" and the melody
composed for that song is what we now
recognise generally AZ THE star
Spangled Banner"
Before that air was adapted to Keys
poem OF 1914. the music was used with
/ the patriotic ode. adams and Liberty
written by Robert Treat Paine, Jr. Thus
Notwithstanding the two patriotic ly-
RIGS just mentioned. the music alone is
entirely lacking In national Identified
tionso far as It's origin in concerned
while It's birth makes 1t III betting the
dignity TO which the mere accidents oil
appncasIon have raised II.