The League of Nations (German: Voelkerbund, Dutch: Volkerenbond) was
established about 1918, after the first World War, in order to prevent
any repeat of the terrible massacres of hundreds of thousands of
people.  (I have visited a site in France where several thousands of
people, both French and German, died for the possession of less than
300 yards of land.)

About the new "Voelkerbund" it was said that always something would
vanish: in the case of a conflict between two small nations it would
be the conflict that would vanish.  In a conflict between a big and
a small country it would be the smaller country, and in a conflict
between two big countries it would be the Voelkerbund which would
vanish!  The last scenario happened when Nazi Germany left the League
of Nations in the nineteen-thirties.

Two composers are known to have composed a march to this organisation:

1.  Carl Frei composed a march called "Mars van de Vredesbond", also
called "Volkerenbond-mars".  This would be "Voelkerbund-Marsch" in
German.  It is a very popular march on Dutch street organs.

2.  Richard Weisser, of Waldkirch in Germany, composed a march which
he also called "Voelkerbund-Marsch".  This is a great march, but it
is completely different from the Frei composition.  It can be heard
on Ruth organs of the 36, 37 and 38 style.

I think Dave Vincent is referring to the Carl Frei march: he should
call it "Vredesbondmars" by Carl Frei Sr.

Hans van Oost, KDV, Netherlands

 [ Although he later returned to Waldkirch, during the years between
 [ the two world wars German-born Carl Frei (senior) had his workshop
 [ in Breda, Netherlands, and was composing and arranging especially
 [ for the street organs of Holland.  On that basis the Dutch song
 [ title(s) should be considered primary.  I think that "Vredesbond"
 [ translates literally as "Peaceful Alliance".  -- Robbie