The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-23
OF WHAT ARE WE THINKINc2
By George Barr Mccutcheon of The Wig.
ilantes.

by george Barr McLuLche0n Oh Inc Wig
ilantes.
What Is in the mind Of the American
citizen while "The Star Spangled Ban
ner" is being playedf
OF what are we thinkingY
Are we thinking of the flag and all
that 1t stands for, or are our minds 9th
erwise engaged?
| OF course, ii is reasonably certain that
we are thinking of something, but have
our thoughts the slightest connection
with the message our flag is carrying to
the enemy?
We obediently arise with the first SON
orous note of the anthem and we remain
standing till the end. We have learned
or we are learning to "face the music"
more or less at attention, and we are de-
veloping the conviction that it is an Of
Tense to chatter while the strains of our
war song, perhaps our death song, fill our
ears. But are we thinking of "The Star
| Spangled Banner?
! Or are we silently urging the mu-
sicians TO hurry up and be done with it
so that we may resume an interrupted
occupation2 Are we impatiently waiting
| to take up a broken conversation; a
game Of bridge; the telling of story;
the reading Of newspaper; the liberal
art Of criticizing the war department,
the navy or the administration; or, what
is infinitely more incompatible exploit
ing the hateful efficiency of the foe?
We sit in public places, and we arise
because we are in public places We sus-
pend for the moment our physical inter
ests, and we look about us to see if other
people are doing the samei Some of us
get up grudgingly and stand as we hap
pen to have been sitting, with our backs
to the music; some of us going on knit
ting; others of us continue to keep our
hands in our pockets and our cigars in
our mouths; others think that nothing
more is required Of them than the lower
ing of their voice to an undertone; others
consider a bland expression of resigna-
ton TO be efficient; and some fall into an
attitude of tolerant submissiveness
There is little or no evidence Of exalta-
ton, no sign Of an inward thrill, no sug-
| gestion of a profound emotion. The
beautiful, inspiring concentration Of
thought that attends the 'Marseillaise"
Is lacking; the full hearted sensation
that glorifes Rule Britannia is absent
even the fervor Of the Teuton as sym
boIized in cultural acclaim is sadly
wanting, We, the most imaginative, the
most alert people in the world, are to-
tally devoid Of imagination during the
rendition Of our war song
Why should we not think, or even
pray, as the French, the English and the
Germans think and pray while their song
of hope Is being sounded?
"The Star Spangled Banner" Is our
battle song. 1t goes into the thick of
the fight with our flag and our boys. 1t
emphasizes our hopes, our aims, our long
ings; and of what are we thinking-we
who stay at bonneville its strains are
falling upon our earsY Are we, so to
speak, playing the gsmei
Why shouldn't we, one and all, great
and small think alike for as long as five
minutes in each dayf Let there be but
one thought, one prayer, while the hymn
/ is ringing From one end of this great
land to the other let this be the begin
/ ming Of our prayer the instant the band
strikes up "The Star Spangled Banner:
"God be with our flag and our soldiers
and our arms wherever they may bel0
And let this be the end Of our devout,
intensified prayer as the last note dies
away:
God give us Victory"
Not perfunctorily, not as a matter Of