Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-09

Whistlins as fine art or merely as
| pastime has too many classic prece-
dents to let the derision heaped upon
| 1t by the widely quoted comment of
a New York University professor pass
unnoticed. Indignation is aroused by
the pedagogue's Grabbed edict that only
morons whistle, and poet and historian
are invoked to confound the critic.
There is ground for believing that
King Canute intended, If he succeeded
in imposing his will on the sea, to
stop whistling throughout the kingdom, "
theories the New York Sun. While that
paper believes that "whistling Is a form
of elf-entertainment, like twiddling the
thumbs, or keeping time with the feet.
or wiggling the ears" 1t denies that a
thumb wiggler can be set down as a
moron just for that"
Let the boys whistle, professor. but,
of course, not in Office hours" advises
the San Francisco Chronicle. Recalling
that whittier found the merry whis-
ting tune one Of the chief charms Of
his barefoot boy" the Chronicle adds,
The homely whistle of sweet music's
strain won the heart OF one lyricist,
while the plowboy's whistle was
matched with the 'milkmatd's song as
a figure of rural charm. Undoubtedly
Shakespeare himself whiStled on the
love for the concord Of sweet SOUNDS
that marks a man as unfit for treason,
stratagems and SpoilS."
I'VE can't prove it," remarks the
Rock Island Argus, but We register our
conviction that Abraham Lincoln in
dulged in whistling, and also Theodore
Roosevelt We know some very sane
and cheerful individuals who whistle
and some very pronounced morons VINO
| Id l.
ancholy, peSSinlistic individuals VINO
would be better off for whistling"
X X x X
What if one of these days somebody
| arose to remark that only morons gen.
| eralize?" asks the Worcester Telegram,
which suggests that perhaps DR.. Shaw
is too used to addressing audiences who
cannot talk back" and offers the par
allel thought: DIR. Shaw might say
that only moronS eat apple pie. Few
would care to reply to him. Contro-
version would label one as pie-eat1ng
moron in the eyes Of DR.. Shaw"
1--WE agree heartily" states the Fort
| Worth Star Telegram, that there are
whistlers who need major operations
! for the physical defect. But We do not
| feel justified In joining the professor in
his generalization" That paper also
comments on the value of whistling:
People who live within hearing dis
lance of persons who whistle with a
| vehemence which appears to have
robbed the whiStlerS ear for music in
order to acquire volume will easily find
themselves in the army of the professor.
Those who possess musical natures and
who exude music through the whistling
mechanism will feel themselves ag-
grieved-and justly so. There are peo-
pie who simply must burst forth in
melody occasionally-or even more re-
currently than that. They perform the
feat with all the naivete and sangfroid
of hooking bird on an alley telephone
pole while his miSsus is busy with the
family donlesticities. A few of them
are so good at it that they reach either
the stage or the studio. There are peo-
pie whose whistlings should be treated
at least as misdemeanorS. There are
others who add a touch of cheer to
their surroundings by gladdening their
own souls"
"Whistlers are probably Of all sorts
| and degrees as to mentality, energy
and morality" concludes the Charleston
that "a whistler generally strikes one
as being of q cheerful disposition" The
Providence Journal makes the COM
| ment "Of course. there are whistlerS
and whistlers. The underlying causes
of whiStling are various and sundry.
1t is an old, old story that whistling is
often resorted to as means of keeping
up ones courage. But we have known
some valiant men who were confirmed
whistlers, and we have even heard
whistling that might definitely be
ascribed to a superiority complex.
There are many men, and an occasional
woman who whistle inStinctiVely as an
emotional expression. They are the
true whistlers, who give forth their flute
like lit of happiness as naturally as
the meadoA larks, song sparrows and
goldfincheS." The Journal feels that
ssWhat the world needs Is q drastic cur.