"TIPPERARY."

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 63, 10 November 1914, Page 4

"TIPPERARY."

The music ball has again presented us with a National Anthem, writes the London correspondent of the Sydney Sun. The German thunder "Der Wacllt am Rhein," the French chant the stirring "Marseillaise," the Belgians go into battle with their beautiful "Brabanconne" on their lips. Our Britishers march to death or glory shouting "It's a Long Way to Tipperary." Whey they have taken a fancy to this song, and why it should inspire thorn, is a puzzle for the psychologist.

It is simple, catchy, and a good marching -tune, but there are dozens of oth- < ers as good, if not better, and none of t them appeal to the ranks. Tne au- j thor-composcr is a music hall artist of uo consuieraOle renown, rejoicing in (.lie name of Mr Jack Judge. Last year '; he hcvkod his amongst the music publishers, and none of them would 1 , have anything to do with it. As a last , fling he took it to Mr Bert Feldman, Who liked its lilt, and gave the song to the world. It had a humble be- ■ ginning in a short turn at J< in the Isle of Man, when the'^Laii- 1 ] cashire lasses were enjoying'TlMraifij] nnal holiday. They took it back to the North of England, and it afterwards permeated the rest of the United Kingdom. To-day our soldiers sing it when ' the reveille shakes them out of their ' restless sleep, or when route marching i to relieve the monotony of the tramp, | tramp, tramp, when'imprisoned in the trenches, or when jumping from them for a wild bayonet charge. French soldiers are doing their best to find out what special virtue Tipperary pos- ' sesses, but they admit that they are in despair. Their own Marseillaise, the battle rumble of the German anthem, they can understand, but that an army should be exalted by "Tipperary" is something which fills them with amazement. They shrug their shoulders and resign themselves. .-.,-