The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-03-22
Soldiers Like /" !. mile"
Song The Best of All
Says John Mccormick
FAMOUS Singer Starts on Red Cross
Yourselves Interesting Inter-
view Concerning His
Audiences

-fNN+ 'AS' Juob DClOl hN
started on his tour of the country in
concert to riase 100000 for the Red
cross, He used the same expression
at the end. Meantime he explained.
It's a slogan, said he. LETS
get where we're going Don't you
thlnk it's rather wonderful? Whose
do you think it is? Pershing's! Yes,
my friend, Col. L. V. Smith, now at
the front, told me about it. He heard
Pershing say it at West Point He
uses it to his men; Well, boys, now
let's get where we're going Isn't it
Incompatible? was tempted to
make story of it myself"
What title for song"
"A war song you mean? Follow
the flag, and all that? Please,
please! can only gasp at most of
these war songs Such liberties they
take with the nation and the flag
Is there nothing sacred to these song
writer's? Do you hear men in the
trenches believing about follow the
flag" No. because they do it, Also
they have reverence in their souls.
While some of these song writer's
| believe they'd never follow any flag
except into a pawnshop,"
You don't like war songs?"
"A good song that stirs real pa
triotism is wonderful. "The Star
Spangled Banner | love for what it
is and stands for. | wish, however,
that orchestra leaders would play it
as written, and not as a sort of exit
march, Lately in my concerts and
for records have been singing songs
that | hoped might please the sol.
diers. Their judgment is the real
test of war music. What have they
liked best? Ballads. These include
one song of war time, Send Me Away
| With a Smile but it is not a war
! song, 1t is a simple, youthful, unpre-
tentlous ballad. 1t appeals to the
heart and recalls home and love. 1t
makes no threats and no boasts. But
these war songs-oh"
About the music of these compo.
sitions Mr.. Mccormack said nothing.
His interest in them is wholly patri-
otto rather than artistic. And since
he is now on a tour to the coast to
give concerts for tn benefit of the
Red Cross in all big cities, il is time
ly to call John Mccormack himself
a patriot before he is an artist. All
the expenses of this tour he is bear
ing himself, expecting that the $780,
600 which he pledged himself to raise
for the Red Cross will be more than
realized before he returns to New
York. After that, having filled GER
tain concert engagements made before
the war, Mr.. Mccormack will start
on new drive for 100000 for the
war camp fund of the Knights of
Columbus
ut is nothing" he said, when the
interviewer limited at sacrifice as
he was consulting his manager about
time tables and sleepers. He was
quite cheerful about casual train ser
vice After the strain of his season
at the Metropolitan and his own con-
certs-"Tush. said John McCor-
mack. He simply would not talk
about his benefit tour. Giving his
best efforts to his country at this
time is to him just duty. "And duty
is to be done, not talked about" he
believe" So let's get where we're go
ing"
The doctor came in to see Mr.. Nc
Cormacks throat
What news of the WARP" greeted
his patient.
THE morning papers
flush, man." scoffed Mr.. McCor-
mack. "Is that the latest? I've read
all the morning news" He dis
cussed the editorials on which he
held the floor alone. This man reads
everything, On politics and the big
matters of the day his ideas were
sound fine, clear. But don't you be-
lieve in freedom of speech?" The
doctor caught him up in pause.
81 believe in freedom as | once
heard President Wilson explain it,"
! said Mr.. Mccormack when you
speak of machine being free, he
said you mean that all the parts
work easily and in harmony. The in
dividual parts are not so important,
except in form the perfect whole. So
it is with our freedom of speech and
of all things.
1--WE need a perfect American ma
chine. now more than at any time in
history; is it not so? Our machine
has war to win. So every cog must