Evening star., 1942-07-26
Army's Spirit
Is Different
This Time
Irving Berlin, Who
Knows, Draws
"A Comparison
~ ~
By Ira WoIteyf.
NEW YORK,

NEW YUM.
As . veteran Of the old AEF and
the author Of the phenomenal This
Is the Army" which is explaining
the new AEF to capacity audiences
nightly. Irving Berlin felt qualified
to speak.
TITS a different Army this time"
he said. "Old-timers like me going
into it have the idea in advance
that it's going to be like father and
son. The 1918 Army was the father
and this is one generation later, so
it's the son. But that's not the way
it works out. The whole thing is
like two people who not only never
saw each other before, but practi-
cally never even heard of each
other"
Well, what are the differences?
II don't want to 60 into it tech-
nically. Maybe it's military secret.
Also, I don't know a darn thing
about 1t technically. see 1t only
as a Snowman, the surface of it, the
spirit and the people. Altogether
different.
Remember the parades we used
to have for departing soldiers? Re-
member Bring Back the Kaiser's
Moustachep and that kind Of thing?
Nowadays, nobody asks anybody to
bring back Hitler's moustache."
They've taken enough of his lip
to be content not to have his nous
tache, too. Besides, that moustache
IS no good, not even for mum for
q fsh's feet.
"Parades Are Out"
NO" former Sergt. Berlin said,
this is serious, q serious symptom
Of something SO serious that people
don't ask their boys to bring bach
Hitler's mouStache. Parades are out
cracks, happy songs, all the stoc1
| standard forms OF patriotism are
out of this war. Because this Wa
is too terrible and everybody knows
how long and hard a f1ght it's going
to be for us. This Army makes the
other Army. st 1east while the other
Army was on our soil here, look like
college boys larking for big foot
ball game. Nowadays, the fellows
60 OF quietly and we watch them
go quietly.
you know, in planning this
show, had the idea Of closing with
God Bless America ! wanted TO
bring In the Navy. OF course, to show
how we all got to work together and
there is . standard Show-business
way Of doing it-have soldiers and
sailors stand side by side and Groom
Together Forever, Rah. Rah, Rah,
something Ike that.
| '.But when I got 1 closeup look
Of our new Army, threw al that
stun out. Flag-waving and happy,
/ standard expressions Of patriotism
&re all right when were winning,
but they're in bad taste when the
| going Is tough. Ike nowadays"
/ Eyerythias II Diffsrsnt
| So God Bless America, :, which Is
one Of Berlin's most popular songs
and will earn better than $10O, 900
for the Boy and Girl Scouts and
other youth groups to whom he has
given all rights Is not in This Is
the Army" nor Is any song Ike it.
And when the Navy horns in, 1t
fights its way up from the audience,
takes over the stage and sings, "You
Can't Get Along Without U.s."
Eyes, q different war, q different
Army. and different kind Of kids
in it!"
/ Berlin is 53 years old and has had
no single year Of inactivity In the
last IS years. He has given us the
most popular songs Of our time and
the most popular shows. After IS
years OF steady outpour, one would
expect to see signs Of . little slack
ening. But this is the greatest, most
productive, most successful year Of
his entire career. Nots successful
from financial point Of view, since
most Of the money he's making goes
to the war effort In one way or an-
other. but successful from the point
Of view Of popular acceptance.
A new movie, Holiday Inn," with
II new songs by him and with Fred
Astaire and Bing Crosby to supply
the songs with feet and tonsils ID
emerging In . few weeks. This u
the Army" which has about nine
Of his new songs, now seems des-
tined to be the biggest show he ever
wrote-a $5.o00,000 proposition for
Army relief.
Doesn't Hate to Get Up.
| Berlin still weighs about $50
pounds, which Is what he weighed
In the old army, and, as he did in
"Yip Yip Yaphank," 50 he now
does nightly in This Is the Army
sings ''Oh How I Hate to Get Up
in the Morning! Oddly enough.
while this seems to be one Of his
most deeply felt tunes, he himself
never hates to get up in the morn
ing. He gets out OF bed like man
getting out OF prison. shaking him.
self free OF the clammy terrors Of
repugnant surroundings.
I've never been able to sleep," I"
he said. THAT way, too, I'm like
I was In the Army. I went to all
kinds Of doctors to And out what's
the matter with me that I can't
sleep. really was scared to death.
I felt I couldn't 60 on like this.
Then I went to an old friend Of
mine, general practitioner, and
he helped me more than anybody.
How long were you in bed last
night?' he asked me. fourteen
hours I told him. iHow long did
you sleep?' I didn't close my eyes
q minute Well he said, look at
] tsee WOLFERT, Page ESD