THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER, spirit. Why should we have an Army, why should we have a Navy, if we want to sing some psalm like "Brighten the corner where you are," or some other piffle as a national anthem? Gentlemen, I do not want to take the time of this committee, because you have heard very fully from our colleagues, Representatives Linthicum and Celler on this question. I remember very well when Mr. Linthicum talked to me in 1919. As I recollect it, he introduced the first bill on this subject in 1919. I think he was actuated at the time in asking protection for the national anthem by these perfectly improper tactics that any person who happens to have an extra amount of money and can write advertisements can put in. I am very glad this gentleman brought this matter up; I am very glad the representatives of patriotic societies of America, who believe in the principle of American patriotism as expressed in the Star-Spangled Banner, are here; and I hope the committee will not recommend it to be adopted as a national anthem--it is the national anthem-but will give it official status in order that people like this woman Stetson can not go around and try to throw mud on the American anthem, which is the same thing as throwing mud on the American flag, which is the same thing as throwing mud on the memory of the men who, when they were buried, had that Star-Spangled Banner in their minds when the bugle blew taps over them. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair will inquire whether there is anyone here in opposition to the bill. We should be glad to hear from somebody, whether there is anyone here in opposition to this bill and resolution. STATEMENT OF MR. FREDERICK R. MERES, COMMANDER MITCHELL POST, NO. 521, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC, NEW YORK CITY Mr. MERES. I represent the Grand Army of the Republic. We shared in the Star-Spangled Banner when we were saving this Nation. Mr. Chairman, we kept every star in the field. We met not only the enemy of the South, but we met the enemy of the North; we met the copperhead; we met the outside men; and we brought that flag back to you unsullied. [Applause.] We brought it back as the Star-Spangled Banner [applause], and it is an unreasonable request or unnatural request for men who served and fought to preserve that flag to come and make that the national anthem. No; I would rather say national song. You know somebody can make fun of i when we call it an anthem, because the definition does not apply. Two sailors were talking of the anthem. Jack says to Bill."" Bill, tell me what an anthem is." "Why," Bill says, "I don't know what an anthem is." "You do not know, Bill? Well, I will tell you what an anthem is. If I say to you, 'Bill, you give me that handspike,' that ain't an anthem. But if I say to you, Bill, Bill, give me Bill, Bill, give me that-Bill, Bill, give me that handspike,' that is an anthem." And so we would rather have the Star-Spangled Banner a song. But, then, we want the words so they can be transposed to prose and make some sense of it. Take that version that is published in our textbooks. Let anyone of you who is posted at all try to transpose that into prose and see if you have not reduced the verse to nothing. And that is what they are trying to shove down our throats. Mr. YATES. May I ask you what you refer to? Mr. MERES. I refer to the third verse-the third line in the third verse: And where is that band that so vauntingly swore, 'Mid the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country they swore they'd leave us no more. A home and a country? No: Key said, "A home in the country they would leave us no more." That is all they swore to do; and they did it so far as they could: and we want the song sung, "A home in the country they swore they would leave us no more. In behalf of the Grand Army of the Republic I am going to submit a copy of the resolutions adopted not only by the State of New York but by the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic, composed of representatives from every State in the Union and of Canada-we have a post over there represented by 2,000 delegates, and adopted finally on the floor, because we had one man in the Grand Army of the Republic-and I think I could give you the name—a man who apologized over in Canada because his great. grandfather fought on the American side of the Revolutionary War. We met those men, and so, Mr. Chairman, I am going to submit this and close. I thank you. The CHAIRMAN. I would like to know what the resolutions are. I do not gather that from the gentleman's speech. Mr. HERSEY. He wants us to rewrite the poem. I am not capable of doing that, as one member of the committee. The CHAIRMAN. The resolutions, without reading them, are very long and to the effect that "we recognize the Star-Spangled Banner here appended, written by Francis Scott Key, as the national song of our country," and further indorsement of it. Mr. MONTAGUE. I just wanted to know whether he was for or against this measure. The CHAIRMAN. I called for someone here, if you will pardon me a moment, wishing to oppose this bill and resolution. Is there anyone here in opposition? It is fair that both sides should be heard by the committee. If not I am going to present to the committee a communication received from Stevens Thomson Mason Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Ionia, Mich., on March 11, 1924, as follows: Hon. GEORGE S. GRAHAM, STEVENS THOMSON MASON CHAPTER, Chairman Judiciary Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: At the regular meeting of the Ionia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, held last Saturday afternoon, a letter was read saying the question of making the Star-Spangled Banner the national song was soon to come before Congress for a vote and asking the chapter to consider it. I think owing to press of time the matter was not thought of or discussed as much as the subject deserves-and was not put to a 'vote. They said I might write you-and as it is something I have considered for quite a number of years, I am doing so, giving my views and why. I was leader of a good choir here for about 25 years-had much to do with public singing-and have never been in favor of making the Star-Spangled Banner the national song. It's a splendid flag song—that is, the words are-the tune runs so high that the average voices in audiences can not reach these high notes in places, and these bars should be made over; but as a national anthem the words are not broad enough and smack entirely of war, and that should never enter into our country's national song. Our country's song should voice love of country, pride of our country, and incorporate something of the principles the country was founded on. Perhaps our national anthem has yet to be written, but the words of "America, the Beautiful," by Katharine Lee Bates, give voice to these ideas in a dignified way, and their musical setting by W. C. McFarlane, who was municipal organist at Portland, Me., is beautiful, and has a "swing" easily remembered and reached by the average audience, and it could well be made the national anthem. Yours sincerely, Mrs. L. P. BROCK, Chairman Historic Committee and Corresponding Secretary, Stevens Thomson Mason Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Ionia, Mich. [Words of "America, the Beautiful," by Katharine Lee Bates] O beautiful for spacious skies, God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood O beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat, America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law. O beautiful for heroes proved, In liberating strife, Who more than self their country loved, And mercy, more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine, O beautiful for patriot dream God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea! America! America! God shed His grace on thee. P. S.-We are soon to dedicate a bronze tablet in honor of Dr. W. B. Lincoln, a young physician who was a member of the Samuel Dexter colony that founded Ionia 91 years ago this next May 28, who taught here the first school, composed of the children of English settlers, in all central and northern Michigan, and this America will be used on the program, and I think if you could be here at that dedication and hear hundreds of children's voices singing this "America, the Beautiful," out of doors on the large campus, you would think it could well be made the national anthem. Mr. BOIES. I have received at least a dozen communications from organizations of Daughters of the American Revolution urging me to support the bill that is now before this committee. [Applause.] The CHAIRMAN. I wish to state, also, for the record that the committee has received. I think, over a hundred from different branches of the Daughters of the American Revolution advocating the adoption of the Star-Spangled Banner. [Applause.] Mr. LINTHICUM. Mr. Taylor, of the American Legion, is here, and we would like to have a few remarks from him. The CHAIRMAN. We will give Mr. Taylor an opportunity to speak. as he is one man who can concentrate his thoughts. STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN THOMAS TAYLOR. AMERICAN LEGION, WOODWARD BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D. C. Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the national executive committee of the American Legion, which is the ruling body of the 700.000 members of our organization, voted on January 15 last to instruct our legislative committee to try to bring about the adoption of a law that will make the Star-Spangled Banner our national anthem. The Legion, then, heartily favors House Joint Resolution 69 introduced by Representative Celler, of New York, and referred to this committee. The Legion unofficially indorsed the Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem five years ago. Every national gathering of the Legion, from the time of the first informal caucus in Paris in March of 1919 to the most recent convention in San Francisco, last October, has opened to the strains of that martial air. Some critics contend that the words of this song are weak and in some cases might be offensive to friendly nations, and that the air is difficult to sing. We feel that these alleged defects are more than offset by the hundred years of hallowed tradition that surround this anthem. After all, gentlemen, you can not legislate a song into the affections of a people, and if the Star-Spangled Banner were not already firmly enshrined in American hearts, it would do little good to call it the national anthem. The American Legion feels that this song is so enshrined and can never be replaced by any other song, whether it be written to order or whether it already exists and has a certain amount of prestige. The words of this song, we believe, breathe the unconquerable spirit of our pioneer people. The air never fails to inspire. The Legion remembers that the Star-Spangled Banner has been in effect our national anthem ever since the troubled times, more than a hundred years ago, when it was written. We recall personally the days in camp, our first in uniform, when recruit bands played the Star-Spangled Banner at retreat; we remember standing at attention to it in France; we remember when it was played at reviews just before we left the service. We feel that this personal experience of ours has been duplicated in a larger way in the history of our country and that the StarSpangled Banner has won first place among the songs of our people. Custom, then, and the tradition of a hundred years of peace and war, as well as the proven merit of this musical composition, lead the American Legion to urge the adoption of the Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem of the United States of America. [Applause.] STATEMENT OF MR. THOMAS TUITE, GENERAL SECRETARY AND ORGANIZER, STAR-SPANGLED BANNER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (INC.), NEW YORK CITY. Mr. TUITE. I come here representing the Star-Spangled Bannner Association, and seeing the possibility of being shut out in representing my organization, I have to consider the speaking of several people who come here from New York for this occasion at considerable expense, of course, you understand, and I hope we will not be shut out, and I ask the special privilege to represent the Star-Spangled Banner Association. The CHAIRMAN. Where are you going to appear? This is the only appearance you will get. Mr. TUITE. Before you, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Now?. Mr. TUITE. I prefer to wait. There are some other speakers who will handle their part better than I can. Mr. DYER. May I inquire, Mr. Chairman, what, in addition to what has been stated, the other gentlemen and ladies can add? Mr. TUITE. Bless your heart, we have not had the surface scratched by those in sympathy. [Applause.] You have not begun to scratch it. A hundred years of persecution and misrepresentation and lying has got to be flattened out now. The CHAIRMAN. I think we have heard arguments sufficiently on that side of the question, and I am not going to prolong the meeting. We have to get ready to go over to the House in a very few minutes, and the committee has some degree of intelligence-a little bit I hope and they will be able to consider and digest what has been said. I would like to say this, that those who are here your people— if you will ask their names indicating those who are here supporting this movement, we will be glad to enter it upon the record. But as to each one speaking in turn, it is out of the question. Mr. TUITE. Please, Mr. Chairman, we are appearing here before you on a very important item, a vital matter to us who have been fighting this thing for years; and I represent an incorporated organization. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, we will hear you now. Mr. LINTHICUM. Mr. Chairman, might I suggest that we may have an opportunity to hear Mrs. Holloway? The CHAIRMAN. No: this gentleman has the floor now. He claims he is being denied freedom of speech, and we will hear him. Mr. TUITE. Please do not put it that way. Please understand me as an American not making any such charges. The lady here has written a letter from some place out in my State of Michigan. In Michigan we raise * * The CHAIRMAN (interposing). I would suggest that instead of indulging in personalities about anybody let us discuss the subject in hand. Let us be patriotic and speak directly. |