GERMANY: Blatz Band

Pooping bravely away at a Sousa march, a brass band marched down the Potsdamerstrasse last week toward Berlin’s great Sportpalast. A marching band is the commonest occurrence in Nazi Germany, but at the sight of this one Berliners stopped, gaped, cheered. The Blatz Post American Legion Band of Milwaukee was the first to march behind the U. S. flag in Berlin since the War. When the bandsmen, with black crepe on their arms in honor of President von Hindenburg, reached the Sportpalast, largest auditorium in the city, 15,000 ticket holders shouted “hoch” and gave the Nazi salute.

Two German bands were waiting to join the concert. Even such a cautious commentator as white-bearded Frederick T. Birchall, the New York Times Pulitzer prizewinner, announced that it was a “major event” in the Berlin season. There were plenty of speeches and after the concert thirsty bandsmen joined in a great Bierabend. Milwaukee’s bandsmen downed stein for stein, many of them spoke German and 50% were of German descent.