Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-04
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

TIiE present writing finds us.
not unhappily, in the grip OF
a general strike or general
lockout in which the big broad
casters and the great central
copyright pool and collection
bureau known as ASCAP are
at odds over the royalty rate
and other issues.
ASCAP.ls music is off the air
as 10 most of the stations, and
this organization seems to think
that the public will come TO It's
rescue with a great clamor for
the particular combinations OF
squawks. squeals and means TO
which il holds title.
| doubt, however. that the old
hands in ASCAP privately en-
terrain any such belief. because
they are all practical men Who
know how easy il is 10 steal a
new song from an cid one and
must realize. therefore, that in a
very short time the composers.
so called. in the employ of the
broadcasters can tinkle out ac-
ceptable limitations of their prl-
vate stock.
Already. no doubt, free-lance
ghouls of the music trade have
put together half a dozen varia-
q tons of Three Blind Mice"
simple but apparently mex
haustible theme.
DOSSIBLY, if the public Is
= gwen a brief rest from those
dreadful sounds which have been
called music and hammered on
the nerves and temperament Of
-the-American people with ever
increasing emphasis as radio
grew, some benefit will come OF
this braWl.
Old airs from the four-cent
song book are being revived
which have tendency TO soothe
rather than to excite. and
spell OF rest from the din might
cause revival of taste.
Certainly no other cheap and
trashy fake in any of the arts
has had the benefit of such pre-
tentlous endorsement as the
JAZZ and. since Jazz. the swing
music Of the last 30 years.
The louder and more revolt.
ing the noise the more artistic
or characteristic il was said 10
be. when II was obvious that
these horrors were the work OF
Doors and ignoramuses and often
OF common thieves.
Yet takers with an appetite
for publicity have endorsed
Jungle and barnyard sounds az
expressions of the American
artistic taste and soul and the
rlpenlng OF national music =
which same opinions. if true.
were either an insult 10 the
/ American character or Just
condemnation of a vulgar breed.
LVEN the so-called red-hoi
IL mamas have been saluted
as interpreters of something IN
the spirit Of the people. although
II was known for fact that this
type OF singing originated in a
dive IN Chicago and was Charac-
teriStlc of that phase Of life and
no other.
The torch song began AS and
remains a lewd and frowsy ex-
/ preston of a back-room bum
and has been standardized IN
its artless form out of consider
alton for singers who cannot
sing and composers who can't
compose but only hitch together
stock phrases.
These two so-called American
art forms. pretty much alike.
have been brayed over the ar
for countless hours and. not con
tent with that imposition. the
music industry. including radio
itself. has exploited a later Of
tense called swing. in which the
executoners seize on any decent
work that comes TO mind and
disembowel ii like savages tor
turing missionary.
Plagiarism, or grave fobbinp
has become respectable artistic
and commercial practice in that
department Of the trade which is
called creative.
NO NATION on earth eyer
~ bought as much music q,
the United States has in the
last 30 years. but certainly no
nation ever bought music quite
as bad, for not even the Chi
(nese have produced worse.
Probably it has done some
thing to the nerves of the peo-
pie. for they are beaten over
the ears with ii from dawn IN
dawn. and millions have become
so numb that they can sit for
hours with the most horrible
sounds bouncing about them
and not even notice them.
Some people can even read
the funnieS with this going on.
1t must be said that ASCAP
owns title TO some very good
American music along with tho