the reading of a letter from Theodore Roosevelt written for the occasion to Mrs. Hamilton Fish Webster. I quote but one of his burning sentences: This last and crowning brutality, which amounts to the imposition of a cruel form of slavery on a helpless and unoffending people, must make our people realize that they peril their own souls, that they degrade their own manhood, if they do not bear emphatic testimony against the perpetration of this iniquity. The meeting closed with a resolution of protest to President Wilson, and a telegram of sympathy to King Albert of Belgium. Among the other valuable experiences of the war was our work for the Italian Relief. We were charter members of the Boston society and served upon the executive committee, and when the time came to found a kindred association in New York, it so happened that this too devolved upon us. Our choice of the leader of this work was a very fortunate one, and I shall always take great pride in the fact that I, personally, not only proposed the name of Robert Underwood Johnson for chairman, but that I also was able to prevail upon him to accept the office which he filled so ably and which I like to think may have had some bearing on his subsequent interesting experiences as American Ambassador to Italy. On April 7, 1917, the _New York Times_ brought us the news that war was declared against Germany by the United States. On the front page under a cut of the American flag, the _Times_ printed the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, now become one of the popular war songs not only in our country, but in England and France. The effort often before made to have it declared the national hymn would have succeeded at this time, I believe, but for one reason. While the words were acceptable to all sections of the country, the South could not forget that the music was formerly sung to other verses, and the supporters of the Confederacy and their descendants could not forget or forgive the words of the older song: We’ll hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree! I first learned of this sentiment at a patriotic meeting at the house of Arthur Curtis James, when the “Battle Hymn” was recited by Julia Marlowe. I happened to be sitting near two Southern ladies who were much moved by the recitation and overheard one say to the other: “Why on earth do they persist in singing those beautiful words to that abominable tune?” Many earnest efforts have been made to set the “Battle Hymn” to other music, but I believe this to be a hopeless task. The words were inspired by the music and are inseparable from it. When we remember that the same air is sung to the words of the English “God Save the King”, to the German National Hymn, and to our own “America”, may we not hope that in the future the bitter memories connected with the air will be forgotten, and that every section of our country will accept both air and music?