New-York tribune., 1922-08-06

| ular car. The strong poiitichi songs
Of the country date back TO the Napo-
leonic wars or TO the period which fol-
lowod-a period in which liberty and
unity were German ideals. The enthu-
siasm with which Germany 'plunged
into the war produced no Moritz Arndts
or Ferdinand Freiligrath.
Perhaps the enthusiasm was not al
together genuine. II may not have
come from the heart. but have been
the product Of cunningly conducted ed
ucation. "Freihelt" and "Einigkeit'
we're the watchwords Of the poets and
professors who compelled the rulers OF
the petty German states TO triumph
over Bonaparte in defiance OF their
selfish aims and desires; but when the
French yoke was thrown off, the voices
of the poets and professors were ST.
fenced a=d the champions Of the lib
erty Of. the people were compelled 70
seek happiness in foreign lands. When
they sang, their songs were OF songs
OF farewell to the fatherland and songs
Of hope for a new political life in free
America. The spirit Of the forty-eight-
ers did not survive until 1917 even in
the United States among the descend
ants Of the political emigrants. Alb
sent treatment had educated IL out Of
them. There was an outburst Of patri-
otlc song in Germany at the beginning
Of the war, but, as we observed at the
time. tho inspiration OF the most
puissant Of the songs was hatred OF
the enemy and national arrogance. We
searched carefully through one OF the
first German war anthologies and noted
the striking fact that the word "Frei-
heit" occurred in the pages half a
dozen times or less, and even in those
instances with a different meaning
than 1t had in the first half Of the
nineteenth century. There was no
trace OF the emotion which vitalizej
the word when uttered by Freidigrath
and Arndt.
One Of the incidents which amused
US from 1914 to 1918, and which we
hope will amuse the Germans OF the
coming generation, was the effort to
get rid OF the national song Of the
empire and half n dozen or more OF
the German states. "Heil dir i'm Sic
gerkranz" was an adaptation OF the
English gGod Save the King" in words
as we'll as music. II reached Germany
through a Danish paraphrase and was
quickly appropriated by Prussia, Sax
ony and other German countries big
and little. Efforts had long been made
TO trace an Austrian or German origin
for the superb melody, which has
served as a model for political hymn
writer's for more than a century, al
well as a French. English critics had
sifted It's history for generations and
the authorship Of Carey is still dis
puted. though more generally accept
cd than any other theory. or course
an English tune would no longer serve
the Germans after the war began, ant
dozens, scores, perhaps hundreds OF
German poetasters set to work to pro-
vide a new hymn for the empire, and
| IL seemed like q bit Of satirical irony
that one of the most successful efforts
was cast in the old English mold
The authors could not get away from
the old refrain (Which is Biblica)'
nor from the old meter.
Those who have been tinkering
away at our two most popular hymno
for half a century have found the
Same obstacles In their path. Nobody
who is less than a genius will give the
people Of the United States a substi-
tute for america" (Which is truly
precious possession) or "The Star
Spangled Banner" the only valid OBJ
lection TO which Is the impractieable
range OF its tune. LA Marseillaise'
Is even more difficult to sing, but one
might as we'll ask the French people
10 surrender their love of country as
the hymn. II had a righteous origin
and its roots strike down to the popu-
lar heart.
We did not set out 10 discuss this
question, but another. The World War
ought TO have left an impression upon
musical composition in all the coun-
tries engaged in It. We ought TO have
had by this time overtures, sympho-
hies, even operas In which we could
recognize a new spirit generated by
the stupendous social and moral up
heaval which has unbalanced the
world. We have looked for them, but
found nothing; not one work has been
brought to our notice which has
seemed to US worth considering Is a
new and distinctive expression Of our
selves, our allies or our enemies. What
has been most forcibly impressed upon
US is an increase Of the Grass material
ism which had been manifest in the
art for years before the awful conflict
Of nations and peoples began. We
thought that an early manifestation
would be national STRINGS and striv-
ings. There have been such. but they
have lacked a Characteristic note. Each
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