"THE RED FLAG."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 114, 17 May 1933, Page 6

"THE RED FLAG."

BRITISH SONG OF REVOLT. Alas for internationalism. The, dream and goal of so many Socialists, Communists and the followers of many other assorted "isms" seems a dim and distant and nebulous thing'. For even their anthem, the battle song of their class and creed, though it professes in the most

doggerel of all its verses an international outlook, is almost as thoroughly national as "Soldier* of the Queen,'' says a writer in the "Christchurch Times. -, '•The Red Flag" is almost wholly a British song, and the foreigner will have as little to do with it as the British worker will have to do with "The Internationale." Most of the men who talk loudest of internationalism proclaim most clearly in their medium their complete nationalism. Let the Continent keep its "Internationale"; the English workman will have nothing of it. For him "The Red Flag" is good enough, however much his. equally international brother over the Channel may scorn it. According to Mr. Archer, "The Bed Flag" i* a most wonderful song. According to Mr. George Bernard Shaw, it is "uninspired rubbish, possibly suitable for tho funeral march of a fried eel." There are two sharply conflicting views, both of them from men who have made a boast of their sympathies with the Labour cause. Of course, Mr. Shaw may claim the added qualifications of being a musical and literary critic of proved ability and international repute. . Consider the first verse: — The people's flag is deepest red. Jt Shrouded oft our martyred dend, And ore their limbs grew slilT nnd cold, Their heart's lilooil dyed its every fold.

These arc lines that can Scarcely claim the dignity of great verso, or tlic vision of poetic expression, leather they are a somewhat matter of fact statement of an historical situation that might be assailed on the grounds of accuracy. Morit people arc more familiar with, the chorus: — Then raise the ecarfct standard high, Within its folds we'll live and die; Though cowards Much and traitors sneer, We'll keen the red flag flying here. Simple enough lines, striving in a rather flamboyant way to be impressive, but lacking , both depth of expression and profundity of diction. How could it be otherwise? "Jimmy" Conncl, who -wrote it, was a man without culture, poseessing- only an elementary- education. He loft his native land for England attracted by the higher wages paid there. There aro men in Ghristchiireh to-day who remember having met him. They retain the recollection of a somewhat rough, and very ordinary working man, who, beyond "The Red Flag," made no contribution to the Labour cause. Yet the song "took"' with the British workers, who, before that, had made musical avowals of their faith in the admittedly superior "England Awake" of Edward Carpenter" For some time Oonncl's song was sung to the tune, of "The- White Cockade," but gradually "Maryland" became- the- accepted air. the origin of "Maryland" is doubtful, for Mr. R. C. Zimmerman, of Chrlstcuurch, knew the air as that of a hymn in his Sunday school in Austria.

Mr. Archer is not the only Labour leader who does not scorn to sing "The Red Flag" in public. Mr. George. Manning, who learned and sang the song as a boy, recalls hearing the- present Prime Minister* of England, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, and Mr. Philip Snowden sing it many years ago, while Mr. George Lansbury, ho said, sings it to this day. But few Labour men believe thaifc the song is entitled to rank as a "great" song. It hae* become act-opted as the medium in which a certain attitude is expressed. It is an attitude of dissent, and not always of dissent from a. given political etate, for minorities against whom a motion that has nothing to do with polities has been carried at a meeting have been known to sing it as a protest. The general opinion among those, who know the. song is Dwvkjf J»ny claim for poetic quality or grandeur of senuinciit can be made on its behalf, it can bo made for the last verse:— With hearty uncovered swear we all To hear it '(inward till wo fall. Come dungeon, dark, or gallows grim, This sonz will.ho nur iiirHii? hvinn.