Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-03
Let's Have
An Anthem
Wecan Sing
PeeIer Commends Plea I
of Woman Writer
BY wESTBROOK PEGLER

MRS. WALTER FERGUSON,
Ava who writes for the papers.
has had the gumption to pro-
pose. and in time of war, too,
that we admit TO ourselves that
the "Star-Spangled Banner" is a
flop as a national anthem and
select another out of the old
books or get new one.
Mrs. Ferguson took the words
right out OF this typewriter.
Having noted the sheeplshness
of many American gatherings In
their attempt TO sing the song
and WINGED AT the high. thin
Squeaks of patriots who tried to
scale the heights OF the land
of the free" l looked into the
matter and discovered that ike
most OF our college alma mater
songs, the heart cry OF the
American people is borrowed
from the old world.
II mounts a stilted lyric writ
ten by a lawyer under emotional
stress. According TO my author
ity, Francis Scott Key had been
sent out TO the British heet to
negotiate the release OF Or.
Beanes of Upper Marlborough.
Md, and was himself detained
and forced 10 observe the bonn
bardment OF Fort McHenry IN
the night of Sept. 1914. 1914.
CONTINENTS were uncompli-
~ mentary 10 the British ty-
rants and aggreSsorS OF the time
and there are portions OF his
stately Indignation which today
could arouse charges OF subver-
sion. in addition 10 which fact,
the air is unsingable except by
a daring soprano or tenor.
Hardly any one knows all the
words and ! dare say there are
more of us who can plod through
one or another Of the versions
Of frankie and Johnnie, or
"Abdulla Bul-Bui Ameer.
Thirty years ago the Star
Spangled Banner" was not the
national anthem. hu, only one
OF several songs which children
learned in school and was sec
ond. at best. 10 the one sung 10
the tune OF God Save the King"
or queen, as the case may be,
and known a. either My Coun-
try 'TiS OF Thee, OF America"
also foreign air and still worse.
like the "Star-Spangled Ban
ner." filched from the Germans.
THE words of My Country
Il 'Tis OF Thee" are more poetic
and IL is song that can be sung
recognizably and without dis
tress by the majority OF the
average movie audience or bond
rally. but is. nevertheless. an
import job. and came 10 US on
the second bounce. at that
Thus, nation which has pro-
duced more music, by volume.
than all the others combined
from the beginning Of time 10
the date OF these present. and
which rates music as ma jor
industry and an important craft
in labor. has no anthem of its
native own and the first and
second choices both are of enemy
origin.
The Star-Spsngled Banner"
was adopted officially as the
anthem by executive order Of
President Wilson. probably at
the end OF very busy day. in
1916. when he was still the man
who had kept us out of war
and the British and the Germans
were still, in the eyes of our
government. six OF one and half
a dozen of the other.
If he gave the question any
consideration at all, he probably
thought it good politics 10 give
formal recognition 10 a number
which tweaked the lions tail as
a means Of indicating that. for
all the British propaganda,
Americans still remembered
some old scores
DUT official adoption did not
~ level the sawtooth peaks Of
the "Star-Spangled Banner"
which Mr.. Wilson surely couldn't
manage himself, and the result
is that the United States Of
America has ever since been
committed TO an anthem that
the people can't sing and which
is. AT best. just episode doggerel
and less authentic than The
Wreck OF Old 81"
Mrs. Ferguson suggests Co
lumbia. the Gem of the Ocean"
as a better song. Wherein she
is right. Of course. to the extent
that any song that can he sung
is better than one that can't.
but no American ever thinks of
the United States as Columbia
or as the gem OF the ocean.
either. and the poem is distinctly
Prussian in spots.
But when she comes TO Irving
Berlin's God Bless America"
she seems a little closer to the
beam, although il would be well
to let that one age for 20 years
and not make another rash and
possibly regrettable commitment
that might have to be revoked.
HOWEVER, l would think
Ii that among the works al
ready done incmdinc Berlin.