The Washington times., 1917-09-03
BOXINGAND SINGING
Chief SPEC|ALT|ES.
OF PERSH|NG'S men.
B1 HEYwooD BRouK.
Especial Copyright Cable.)

By HEYwooD BRoUN.
Especial Copyright Cabls.)
.AME RIcAN ExPEDIT1oNARY
FORCE, Sept. S.--After the boxing the
concert began. there was q short in
Permission. during which the first
tenor was revived. He had been
knocked out in the Heavyweight bout.
The other members OF the q1astst
gave him ammonia and Encourages
ment. He put on his Shirt and, hitch
ing Up his voice, hsean:s.ssEGn6hts n,ft
q few faded rosss can my sweet story
tell" His comrades Joined. him at NM
Heart Was Ever Lisht." -, ana thsy
finished the ballad I'm perfect align
ment n ~, - : -,.--ss.i - y Ill
II was the saturday night show of
an American COMPANY OF q namsless
regiment situated nowhere in par
ticular IN q town in France. No mat.
ter how much Bombing or bAyqueking
or trench digging-tife company had
done during the day, II was alwayS
ready TO box and to sing at night
Though the performing mernber6 or
the company jabbed and swung q
little truer than they sang. the con-
cert was always the most popular part
of the program That, too. in spite Of
the fact that there was no -monetary
reward. The boxers were paid. "A
dollar and Q half went TO the winner
and 50 cents TO the loser. -.
Easy 10 TeniTwias. I:
The second tenor was the twin Of
the frst tenor. but there was no dift
aeulty In distinguishing the brothers.
One sang through his right nostrii
and the other through his left Al
most all the songs were sentimental.
what q Wonderful Mother You'd
Make" seemed most popular OF all,
Old set pieceB OF sentimental singing
were dug up, such as "Dearie,r and
that one about Ireland falling out Of
heaven, just as II. the devil himself
had not done the very same thing.
Later there were Silver Threads
Among the Gold" and 'old Kentucky
Home" Patriotism was not neglected.
when Get Back Home Again TO the
u. S. A" was doomed out of the billet,
and there was nne lung power 10 the
song which begins, 'If you don't like
your Uncle Sammy go back to your
home across the sea-" and ends, Don't
bite the hand that's feeding you"
An Army Song.
In all the program there was only
one song distinctly fthe army, and
that was a parody. . It was sung to
the tune Of Ny Little Girl I'm
Dreaming Of You" and went some
thing like this:
America, I'm dreaming of you.
And long for you each day;
America, 7 lighting Tor you.
rho you're many miles away.
Wen knock the block right on, the
Kaiser.
And wen drive them cross the
Rhine
And thsn ven sail back home to you.
dear,
To the tune of 'waeht an Rhins'-
The American soldier does not seem
70 be much Of a song maker. Songs
by soldiers and for soldiers are almost
unknown with US. The only SAVIOR Of
army life on this particular evening
was in q couple of --=sican songs car
risd up from the border by the men
who went to get Villa. They brought
back ''cuckAraeha," with all its sew
enteen obscene verses. As yet the
American army has nothing 50 close
to the spirit Of the trenches a. the
which always leaves the auditor In
doubt as 70 whether he shall take u
seriously and weep or humorously
and laugh.
Here l. ne, Song.
Possibly there IL something Of both
elements in It. The mixture has been
typical Of the British attitude toward
the war. Here IL the song:
~ want to 80 'ome,
{ want to 20 ONE,
The Maxirns they spit
And the Johnsons they roar,
I don't want TO 90 TO the front any
more.
Oh take me over the sea
Where the Ally-mans can't get At
me-
Oh my: I don't want to die.
want 10 60 'omsI'
Sammy, and. By the way, the name |
has no toe hold on the fancy Of the
soldiers. IL still looking about for . |
song. Some observers md that II
will be once again "A Hot Time In
the Old Town." which carried the men
into Cuba. No new song has yet
achieved more than regimenta1 popu-
nOHoNNEg hOhC VI NV many
who heard the quartet OF L Company
In the numberless regiment sing OBJ
iected tn old songs. In fact, they |
were new to many, for as the concert
went on. French soldiers Joined the |
audience, and townspeople hung |
about the edges OF the. crowd. Il
Water Reward Astonishes French.
They listened politely and ap-
plauded, though indeed one must get |
a strange impression of America II
his introduction Is through our popu-
lar songs. They will certainly add |
little TO the vocabulary OF the LISTEN ]
era. One could write IS per cent of |
them with nothing more than |
mother" moon" little girl" and
roses
The French professed no astoniSh-
ment at the songs. but one feature OF
the concert was so surprising a. TO
move them to audible comment. At
the end of one particularly effective
song the captain GaidI Those men
sang that very we'll. Bring EN- each
a glass Of water" No Villager could
quite understand why q man who had
no more palpable crime
than tenor singing should be forced
10 partake OF . drink which Is cold,
and Watery,