Total Patriotism

If patriotism can be instilled by merciless repetition of patriotic songs--as the dictator nations think it can--the U.S. will soon be patriotic indeed. By fiat of Dictator Jimmie Petrillo of the musicians' union (TIME, July 21), The Star-Spangled Banner is now played at the beginning & end of every professional musical program. This week employes in the RCA Victor plant in Camden, N.J. heard the national anthem before work every morning, on a Victor record piped through a public address system.

The singer who made the record bears the press-agented title of "The Star-Spangled Soprano"--Lucy Monroe. Soprano Monroe, who used to sing accurately and unspectacularly in musicomedy, radio and the Metropolitan Opera (when it had a second-string spring season), got in the patriotic groove when she let loose the national anthem before the 1937 American Legion convention. Now she sings it at the doff of a hat. She believes that every office and factory worker should be made to start the day right by listening to it.

As director of RCA Victor's newly created Department of Patriotic and American Music, she will sing it on tour, will also speak on "Patriotism in Music," organize patriotic songfests.

Lucy Monroe has taken to wearing red, white & blue. Altogether she has sung The Star-Spangled Banner well over 1,000 times. Says she: "I get a lift from singing it. I'd never get tired of it. . . . Once in a while when I'm alone I even catch myself vocalizing on the first three notes [O-oh-say . . .]."

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