Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-07-24
STAR SPANGLED BANNER
BEL|TTLED BY GERMANS
Propagandists Inspired Criticism OF
Our National Hymn Which
Expresses u. S. A. in
Melody.

John f. Braun n Phiadelphian, writing
in the Christian Science Monitor, uphold
ing our national hymn and declaring criti-
cism of it was inspired by German pro-
pagandists, says: :,
Attempts on the part of the Central
Powers to direct the thinking oi the
people of the United Etates, have inciudcd
tampering with the national interest IN the
song, "The Star-Spangled Banner, ac-
cording to John f. Braun, chairman oi
community singing for the State of Penn
sylvania, under the auspices OF the Com
mittee of Public Safety. -.
''Perhaps no other musical selection,
said Mr.. Braun, discussing the matter
for The Christian Science Monitor, "has
endured such criticism, In respect TO
both text and tune, as this one has. Much
of the criticism has been directed Mt the
song by persons who are perfectly good
Americans, but who have been touched
by the propaganda, and who were entirely
unconscious of playing directly into
the hands Of the enemy The Germans
would rejoice to find us without ma
tional hymn They know that with
"The Star-Spangled Banner" out of the
way, VIC would not agree upon another
composition for many years TO come.
"1'hc criticisms have been first, that
the text is in sorne respects undignitled,
and difficult To learn, and second, that
tho tIre is ursiugahle ecausc Of tho cx-
trcmc range of tho music There is no
doubt that the principal criticism has
been directed nj the fact that the music
runs very low and very high, the asser-
ton being that the average voice cannot
sing it But a comparison between The
Star-Suanglcd Banner and Dir Wacht
am Rhein will show that the latter COM
position runs Just rs low and just as high
as The Star-Spanglcd Banner. II would
seem that this might be n sufficient an
swcr 10 any criticism of the range OF the
American hymn.
did anvono ever hear OF German
who objected to Die Wacht am Rhein'
because it was either too high or too low
Another question is Are Americans will
ing to admit that the Germans can do
any fine thing that they themselves arc
not willing at least to undertake to do
If the Germans can sing their song, will
any American who has voice keep silent
when The Star-Spangled Banner is
being sung
'"Thc experience | have had in conduct
ing community chorlscs has demon
stratcd To me that nothing stirs gather
ing to higher pitch of patriotic enthusi-
asin than the singing of The Star-Span-
glcd Banner 1t is found that as VIC ap-
proach the climaxes. some of the mail
voices drop to the octave below or else
take some of the lower tones, while the
female voices and the high male voices
all Of which can sing the notes with ease
wills up and this very musical effect is
singalarly beautiful AS a stirring. mar
tial Tit of music it has no peer among ma
I; nal anthems, with the possible excep-
ton OF The Narseillaise.' American
audiences can sing it, because, as q mat
ter of fact, they are singing it daily right
here in Philadelphia, and in many other
places.
THE criticisms leveled at the text are
unimportant, when the great fact is
taken into consideration that the song
expresses the spirit of the United States
and that it lends itself to singing by a
mass Of people.
When persons plead, as some do,
for new national hymn, they do not
realize that in a democracy the national
hymn is not selected by few musicians
or by the literary jurists: national hymn
grows out of the desire Of the mass of