Evening star., 1925-04-05
THE MARINE BAND
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

or the thousands of people who
were captivated by the music of the
Marine Band as IL marched down
Pennsylvania avenue at the head of
tho second division of the inaugural
parade on March 4. only q few knew
that An hour or two before the pa
rade started the historic organization
had been in danger of going out of
existence.
The last bill signed by President
Coolidge before he went to the east
portico of the Capitol to take the
oath Of ONCE was the omnibus bill
and 1T was the signing of this bill
which saved to the Nation the Oldest
musical organization in America. and
one Of, the greatest military bands of
all time.
It came about in this way: Two years
ago Congress enacted legislation CIV
ing the Marine Band increased pay
and emolumen ents, which IL was thought
were due to it's members by reason OF
their national service ard the high
artistic standard they had achieved
This increased pay was held up under
a ruling of the controller Of the Treas
ury. In the meantime there was
hardly a single member of the band
who had not received offers far more
lucrative than the Government pay
even under the most liberal interpre.
tation of the act passed by Congress
EnIistments were expiring and only
q stalwart esprit de corps preserved
tho Marine Band from disintegrating 8
In the omnibus bill Congress re.
enacted the old legislation, but In
such q way as to eliminate the tech.
nicality on which It had been invali-
dated. A bare hour before the in
augural parade started the members
of the band were advised that the
bill giving them increased pay and
back allowances had been signed by
the President. 1t requires no stretch
of the imagination to understand
why tho band excelled itself on that
day.
A washinsten Institutisn.
The Marine Band is AZ much q part
of Washington as Rock Creek Park
tho Library OF Congress, the Wash.
ington Monument or the Smithsopiar
In stftution. It has been Identified
with the Capital since its foundation
1t has been the band of the Presi.
dents. Every President Of the United
washington, has called for Its serv.
ices and every one Of them has patron.
ized this unique organisation. In al
probability George Washington lis.
tened to It's flies and drums when thu
first soldiers Of the Revolution were
mobiIized and afterward when thu
"musics," as the early forerunners Of
the Marine Band were called, helpet
to sustain the courage OF the Army
at Valley Forge.
On November 10, 177s, the Cont.
mental Congress authorised marines
and when tho recruiting for the ma
inence UP In Pennsylvania q few
drums and fifes'' who did yeomaI
service in the recruiting of soldier.
for the War OF Independence. Year,
afterwArd Benjamin Franklin record
ed the impression made on him b.
these "musics." He took particular
note Of the emblem on their drums
Some ono had conceived the idea o
q ratt1esnake as q benttinG coat o.
arms, and under It the injunction
Don't tread on me-" Nowadays tn,
band has the insignia Of the Marin,
Corps.
In 1874 q new Navy was ordered
by Congress, and four years late
President John Adams approved q bill
putting the Marine Corps on a perma
nent basis, With the organization o
the Corps there was created "a drum
major, q fife major and 32 drums ant
nfes," and for 127 years. 1873 to 1895
the band has been q national insti
tuition.
First ODen-Air Concert.
1t was soon adopted by the Cit!
Of Washington, by the President
and by Congress. It gave its flrE
open-air concert In August. 1900.
j vas the only band of public mature