Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-09-03
PERPETUAT|ONO OF
NATIONAL ANTHEM
fERv[NTLY URGED
Commander in Chief of tho
Grand Army of Republic
Delivers Address at the
Encampment.

Detroit, Mich, Sept. 3.---A plea for
the perpetuation of The Star Span
gled Banner" as the American anthem,
without alloy, was made fervently by
Washington Gardner, commander-in-
chief of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, in his address before the Forty
eighth encampment of that organiza-
ton here today.
He urged the old soldiers 10 join in
a movement to pay special honor to
this song, and to discountenance the
practice Of playing 1t in medley with
such "flippant and comparatively
meaningless ditties' as yankee Doc
die" and when Johnnie Comes March
ing Home" He said there was some
thing inspiring in an audience rising
and standing uncovered at the majes-
tic strains of the anthem, but 1t was
"incongruous, bordering even on the
ludicrous'' for the band to strike up
some other national air in medley with
this, and to observe the audience re-
sumo sitting in IAN irregular, half
ashamed manner" 1t were better not
to rise at all when the national hymn
Ia played in medley, he said.
A recomm endation that permanent
headquarters for the G. A. r. be es-
tablished in Washington was another
point of his address. Chicago and
Philadelphia had been proposed, but he
preferred the national capital, and
thought that If possible the necessary
space should be secured in a govern
ment building where the officers could
keep closely in touch with matters be-
md
Army.
Work of Committee.
standing committee of seven per-
sons, with the commander In chief and
adjutant general of the G.. A. R., as ex-
offlcio members, ne also recommend
ed principally for the purpose of talk
ing charge of all legislation which had
the Endorsement of the order. He said
that such a committee would "concen
trate responsibility, reduce expense and
give promise of better results"
"As it is now" he continued, the
committees having to do with proposed
legislation, number, in the aggregate,
nearly ten times seven and are widely
separated 1t Is difficult to have gen
eral meeting, save at large expense to
the order or to the individuals. I'm
der the present arrangement, RESPONSE
bility is too widely diffused and mem
bers too rarely brought together for
consultation and concert of action.
He urged that no change be made
in the method of management of the
soldiers homes which are scattered
throughout the United States. Con-
corning the matter he said:
Not single complaint has come to
the knowledge of the commando in
chief from any member of any home
during this administrative year. 1t is
known that an effort is being made to
place these homes, now under the care
and supervision OF our comrades, sub
iect to the approval of the war de-
partment into the custody of men who
never saw military service in actual
var and whose synlpathies are not so
likely to. be directed toward our COM
rades, in their declining years. This
seems to be a case where the old rule,
Let well enough alone will apply.
This encampment, in my Judgment,
should say to congress that the Grand
Army of the Republic is decidedly
against the proposed change"
The present membership, in good
standing, was reported as III, 1856 Dur
ing the year the roll was curtailed by
the death of 11.1s7 old soldiers, but
Notwithstanding this large figure, it is
Isl less than died during the preceding
year
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