Arizona republican., 1922-06-15
PRESIDENT HARDING
EULOC|zES AUTHOR
Of NATIONAL SONG
CONTINUED from Page y


it was instantly adopted as the an
them of militant Amerlcanlsm, tesu-
fies that already, more than cen
tlIry ago the conviction of great
nationalisrn and a great destiny had
taken hold upon the American
people.
"To give ringing voice to such
conviction, to such an aspiration
was one of the greatest services
which any man could DO tor tne
Young republic That was the service
of Francis Scott Key. 1t was not
in the production OF soul stlrllils
lines. thrilling with martial appears,
- was in the contribution of his
eeeat hv1nn toward creating that
sense of national pride and tnat
realization of responsibility Tor q
great adventure in behalf of human
itv which became at last the insplr-
alton of union preserved ana OF ma
tionalism established.
"To one who has bent for sucn
oddities. there will be found much
of absorbing interest in the study
of those songs of patriotism whlcn
at different eras have enjoyed pop
nlarity. The civil war brought
generous contribution of songs, GOOD,
had and Indifferent, but all aldlhg
to fire the national spirit.
again. the Spanish American war
set ne ALI singing, There's a Hot
Tgne in the Old Town Tonight,
which in a day became the marching;
army. and fighting son. The world
war produced a really remarkapie
group of the songs of inspiration anu
natriotism. 1t seems only yesterday
that we were singing them. Ihere
were many and they served Wen,
but none has ever for mon1en. @
threatened the throne whlch IIe
star Spangled Banner occupies as
the royal anthem OF American patii-
otism.
Minor Incident at Time
'sThe composition OF the M Staa
Spangled Banner seemed at the 'iilie
a minor incident among major eVel's.
THE british government had sent
great expedition to occupy the Chesa-
Deake and to drive out the privateers
which from its waters made their
tireless forays against British snip
ming and to create the base from
which to drive great military 1orce
,,orfhward. simultaneously an army
was TO advance from Canada SOUTH
ward. the general plan being to split
fhe country along the line of the
Hudson. the Delaware and the Ches-
apeake.
.sTbe campaign started off. success
fullv. The British occupied the lower
Chesapeake and Potomac, captured
Washington and then turned TO re-
duce Fort McHenry, sentinel at the
gates of Baltimore. Then the way
would be open for the arny'S opera
10
design.
zone need not tell Maryland aud
ience how significant was the failure
Of the night attack on Fort McHenry.
It spelled failure of the most ambf-
tious project ever put forth for the
subiugation of this continent. The
MARYLAND militia and the limited
force of regulars saved the Chesa-
peake and won for Baltimore the dis
tinction OF being the only great sea-
mort on the Atlantic coast which has
never been occupied by an enemy.
trust that for all the future Baltl-
more will have to share that fortune
with every other seaport; but 'the
fact remains that when the BRUSH
armada of 1914 retired, beaten, from
Fort McHenry. it LETT with BaltlnoTe
the eminence of being the one great
American port over which no en-
env flag had ever waved.
Great Issues Decided
Great as were the issues decided
that September day. the victory has
N we'd OF very minor interest in the
popular mind compared to the fact
that the battle inspired The Star
Spangled Banner Mr.. Key had gone
as a quasi official envoy on board
the British flagship to seek release of
an American prisoner. Admiral Cock
burn was unwilling to let him return
until after the bombardment lest
some of the plans should get to the
knowledge of the Americans. So Mr..
Key and friend were retained on
board a cartel ship, the Minden. from