NATO: Dove Without a Song

Thousands of copies of a Ceremonial Hymn to NATO were recently distributed to British schoolchildren with the suggestion that they sing it at prayers:

May God who rules o’er earth and sky

Cleanse our fair world from fear.

Let freedom’s banner rise on high

And violence disappear.

Build up the power of right;

Bid all the free unite.

Let NATO grow in might

And put its foes to flight . . .

The hymn (air by Thomas Preston, words by Godfrey Lias) was far from music to the ears of the Manchester Guardian, which huffed editorially: “This has a ring of ‘confound their politics, frustrate their knavish tricks’—the words now rightly dropped from our national anthem.” The Guardian was reminded of Sir John Squire’s lines:

God heard the nations shout

“Gott strafe England,” “God save the

King,”

God this, God that, and God the other

thing.

“Good God!” said God. “I’ve got my

work cut out.”

In an indignant Letter to the Editor, Lyricist Lias asked the Guardian: “If we believe in God, surely it cannot be wrong to ask for his help—as the Lord’s Prayer does—in delivering the world from fear and violence.” NATO itself, being anxious to keep the peace, made clear that it had blessed no hymns. “If any hymn was ever proposed to the NATO Council,” said one official, “it would have a good deal more trouble getting approved than any note to Khrushchev.”