Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 223, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1913 — OFFICERS MUST BE MUSICAL [ARTICLE]

OFFICERS MUST BE MUSICAL

Commands in the German Army Are Henceforth All to Be Based on a Given Note. In the future German officers who have a musical ear will be better able than others to give commands, for the method of pronouncing orders to troops is to be entirely revolutionized. Instead of any one being fully qualified to utter commands, provided he does not suffer from a stammer or

other linguistic defect, he will now have to know his scales. The kaiser has been considerably exercised in his mind lately because 'invariably the orders are barbarously distorted, and many of the syllables of the words used remain in the officer’s throat. But, worst of all, each officer has his own way of “pitching” his orders. Professor Spiess Was instructed by the kaiser to this, and after working for several weeks and laboring over the claims of the vari-

ous notes, natural and flat, the 1 professor finally found the note on which orders must be based —C natural. This is probably the first time that the enunciation of orders has been taken up scientifically, and there is a bad time ahead lor officers who lack a musical ear.