Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-17
MAGIC SONG INSPIRES FRENCH

LONDON. April 26.-Philip Gibbs
writes in tho Daily Chronicle OF The
Magic Song" and the spell of The
Marseillaise." lie says:
During these nine months OF war !
have been hearing the old strains OF
La Marscillaise' This song has run
like lett motif through all the drama
OF this war in France, through all It's
scenes OF blood and agony away there
on the front, and through the spirit of
the French people waiting patiently for
victory. hiding their tears for the
dead. consoling their wounded and their
cripples, and giving the youngest of
their manhood to tho God Of War.
What is the magic in this tune, SO
that even II one hears II on cheap
piano In an auxiliary hospital or
scraped thinly on violin in "A court
yard of Paris, 1t thrills one horribly?
There must be some magic in II, and
perhaps little madness. ! shall not
soon forget n journey / made by night
to the east frontier of France with
the first trainload OF soldiers called TO
the colors on the first day of mobiliZa-
ton. The officers In my carriage were
sleeping uncasily. but every now and
then one or other of them would open
his eyes, and sit up little. and listen
intently. For from high railway
bridges under which we passed. and
from level crossings at which we
slowed down or halted. and from VII
lage streets where peasants cottages
blinkcd their windows near the line,
there came the song of La Marseil-
laise,' i'm n vague chorus, with half its
notes drowned by the painting of the
engine and the rattle OF the wheels, but
with that thrill In its tune which gave
one goose flesh, stirring even me, an
Englishman, with a sense OF old tradi-
tions lcaping UP again. demanding sac
ri n % n n
that night of August it seemed to
me that France sang La Marseillaise.'
and that out of its graveyards across
those dark hills and fields with thin,
luminous line on the far horizon. the
ghosts of slain soldiers rose to sing 1t
again for liberty. Family and MUIR
murously it followed our train from
Paris to the east frontier.
During the Retreat.
"Since then il has always been in my
ears. / heard it one night In Amiens.
when the French army was In retreat,
and when all the young men OF the city
not yet called to the colors because or
their youth, escaped hurriedly on truck
trains before a bridge was blown up.
so that If they stayed they would he
prisoners in German hands. 1t was
these boys who sang 1t with fresh. clear
voices. joining in fine chorus. though
not far away the soldiers of France
were limping through the night from
abandoned positions
EntendeZ-vous, dams les campagnes,
Mugir ces feroces soldats?
lis viennent jusque dams nos bras
Egorger nos fills, nos compagnes!
AUX armes. citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Marchons!
"I listened to those boys voices, and
something OF the history of the song
put its spell upon me then. There was
the passion Of old heroism in it, of old
and bloody deeds. with the wild wars
OF revolution and lust for liberty. Rou-
get dc Lisle wrote it one night at
Strassburg when he was drunk, says the
legend. But 1t was not the drunken
ness of wine which inspired his SOUL
It was the drunkenness of that year
1892, when the desire of liberty made
Frenchmen mad. The men Of
Marseilles came singing it into Paris
The Parisians heard and caught up the
strains. 1t marched to the victories of
tho Republican armies. We fought
one against ten wrote a French gen
eral. but La Marseillaise" was on
our side Send u.s. wrote another
general. 10000 men and our copy of