The Washington herald., 1917-04-24

We win want to know everything that
We are hghting for. II democracy alone
Is to continue to be the purpose of Amer
lea and the allies, we should have the
stimulus and the assurance OF the dem
ocratic program. The more specific this
program is made the more vim will
Americans put into their efforts. We viii
want to know about Poland, Greece, Ire
land; about the German colonies and the
internationalization of trade routes by
land and sea; about the minimum and
maximum terms Of peace.
Let ''Dixie" Alone.
(Aflsnta ccnstitutiOn-l
Certain patriotic folk and organisations
scattered throughout the country would
revamp Dixie" to meet the require
ments of national song. But It can
not be done They argue, with the best
Of grounds, that America" falls short Of
the needs because its air Is an appropria-
ton Of that of the British God Save
the King (or Queen)," and beside that,
is wanting In pep" There is little about
II to make a man spontaneously throw his
nat INTO the air or overheard and veil
Hip! Hip" In fact, the tune Is more
suggestive OF black pIumes and gates
a1ar than of the Joyousness OF the LAND
OF the free and the home Of the brave -
The Star Spangled Banner won't do,
they maintain, because It is too hard to
sing. Were We a people OF Ricardo Mar
tins and Mary Gardens 1t probably would
De popular enough; but We are not, and
tor tnat reason the hoi polloi founders
and gives up in disgust about the time II
essays to reach home disgruntIed over its
vocal shortcomings and cIamorous for
national anthem that everybody can
negotiate. Then. too, while the air Of
the Star spsngled Banner" hard as It
may be to carry, has a grandeur and a
martial swing about it. the words are
hardly adaptable for the fullest express
sion OF a non-militartstie, peace-loyfng,
democratic peoples patriotism. Too much
battle, too much burning Of gunpowder,
too much "ramparts' too much peril
Gus fight in it. II Is hardly the thing,
as the national anthem, although Il will
never die, nor lose popularity in a pa
triotic medley.
The Red. White and Blue" might be
all right, but for the fact that there's
not much to IT. 1t is rather fiat, rather
commonplace, lacking itself too. in "gin-
ger" Hail Columbia, Happy Land"
Yankee Doodle" and a score Of others
fail to measure up, some for one, others
for another defect, Neither will do"
But everybody likes Dixie"
As a genuine, irresistible hair-raiser,
spine-tingler, 'Hurrah- Boys Hurrah,"-
producer-North, East or West, as well as
South, II has never met its match. No
matter in what section Of the good old
U. S. A.-let the band strike up Dixie, &"
and the effect upon the audience is cleo
trical. There's something about Dixie"
that prevents a mans sitting still or keep
ing his mouth shut. And it has got so
that geography cuts no fgue. The air
of Dixie" gets results. It is the es-
sence OF rare old wine in the form Of
music!
The entire nation loves the tune. The
poem is objected to because It is sec
tional" It is the song Of the South,
Therefore the nation would nationalize
the air. and stuR It with words that
would square with the requirements OF a
national song. In other words, the ma
ton would absorb Dixie" -