The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-07
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

l 1NSW 4OIh1tSEy uOW anu IklGIl someone creates a mild stir by turning the spotlight on our pa- triotic lassitude. Almost nobody knows all the words to "The Star Spangled Banner" or even "Afner. ica," our adaptation of Britain's theme song.
 Some time ago one of our flag waving legislators in Washington suggested that Civil Service jobs should not necessarily go to ex- soldiers or to people particularly fitted for them, but only to appli- cants who could recite perfectly he didn't say sing) the words of our national anthem. Nothing came of the proposal-probably because other members of the House had the guilty realization that although they helped make the country's laws they didn't know its official song.
 Other evening at Leon and Ed dies an offer of a cool $1OO came from Tallulah Bankhead Ga sen- ator's daughter, incidentally) to anyone in the place who could l W0A OA0 dAk VL AC oIdT~6DdUkIGU Banner" There were several at- tempts, one by Dudley Field Ma lone, but all failed. The same off, fer was made for America" re- sulting in two tries and two Hops. A wag pointed out that the ". of these I sing" ditty never had paid until it was rewritten a couple of seasons ago and the word baby was added at the end of the phrase.
 Broadway, though, has become an exceedingly patriotic place measured. at least. by the number of people who now are familiar with all the star-spangled verses. For when word of Miss Bankhead's 6 gesture got around, lot of wiseys figured that the challenge prob- ably would be repeated by some attention-seeker. And so, with avarice aforethought, they have been studying Francis Scott Keys lyrics.
 Publication.
 Since the League of Nations doesn't seem to have much to do these days, I suggest that 1t con- sider striking some sort of medal for Manhattan's French Casino.
 Here, if ever there was one, is a brotherhood of races. Or maybe a sister hood. The cast of the F'olies Bergeres includes Ameri- can, Russian, Spanish and English performers. Gala international evenings are scheduled at the rdop of a hint: the Irish are honored on St. Patrick's Day, the Chinese on Chow Mein day, the Turks on Thanksgiving, and so on. Now comes the friendliest ges- ture of all. The French Casino has sent on a national tour (ob- ject, advertising) a large, silvery, wheeled creation identified as a giant Zeppelin" Not just a dirig- ible. but Zeppelin. More than likely it will go through your town, probably drawing up in front of the city hall with a scroll to be pre- scented to the mayor by an amiable young entrepreneur with the name of Carl Erbe, which sounds more than faintly Teutonic. Inside this land-bound replica of a German airship are displayed many arresting photographs of the French Casino cuties. There is no portrait, so far as I know, of Count von Zeppelin. Nor have I heard that MT. Erbe intends to disguise himself as Hugo Eckner.
 vcriflcation.
 If we must be geographical. there's the silly about the first meeting between Gregory Ratoff, the actor with the accent, and the father of the Marx brothers. You're German, hah?" asked the elder Marx.
 'No," said Ratoff, I'm not Ger man."
 French"
 'sNo."
 "Austrian?" "Italian?" Danish ?"- and to each query the answer was "No." Finally he asked. "You're Russian"
 "Yes." said Raton. I'm Rus sian."
 'Uh hum m- mmm." said Mir. Marx. T thought sol"
 Nomination.
 And then there's the anecdote about the naming of a ship, spec ifically the Queen Mary. which will be next in size to the French Nor- mandie.
 All the vessels of the Cunard Line have borne names ending in ''ia" such as the Aquitania, Maur- itania and Berengaria. So this ship was to have been called the Queen Victoria. conforming to the company's custom. But plans were changed. the story goes. when a cnnard official was received by