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Show BRITISH SOLDIERS WANT MOUTH-ORGANS Troops Declare Music la Needed to Cheer Men In Trenches During Bombardment. Special Cable to The Tribune. LONDON, Feb. 27. Whoever is responsible re-sponsible for the equipment of the British troops bns made one serious blunder. Not in his rifle' or ammunition; ammuni-tion; those are all they should be. But in every soldier's knapsack, besides his field-marshal's baton, there should have been a mouth organ. Lyinc in his cold trench, listening to the monotonous scream and roar or the shells overhead, Tommy wants music to hearten him. And as he will tell you, there is no music like the music of the inonth-urgau. It is a eoul-stirrine instrument, producing, pro-ducing, in the mouth of the expert, a melody something between that of a harmonium and a bagpipe. Every regiment regi-ment has its mouth-organ virtuoso, who leads the camp sing-songs on his instrument. instru-ment. Usually he announces beforehand before-hand what be is going to play, so that there shall be no mistake. The way of the expert is not easily acquired. First, he gives the orcan a rub along his trousers, then moistens it for action. i "Little gray home in tho west," he says. Sitting down, he hunches his shoulders, puts the instrument to his lips, stares straight in front of him with eyes that see nothing, and blows. How he blows! At intervals in the music he wraps his left hand round the organ by way of sounding board, or taps its end ilightlv with his fingers to give it that I melodious swell and rhythm that only the expert can produce. Maybe he stamps one f oot to the 'time of it while his checks expand ! and collapse, bis eves srart from hi? head and he goes pink behind the ears. while the Germans in the opposite trenches listen enthralled. |