The Washington herald., 1912-08-19
SILVER BLOCK FOR
] MEMORIAL ARCH
PRESENT OF THE REPUBLIC
Women Of Bolivia to Give Almost
Priceless Gift to Titanic
Project.
PRESENT OF THE REPUBLIC

l. One Of the huge blocks which will be
used in the construction Of a great Me-
mortal Arch in Washington to honor the
men who died on the Titanic that women
and children might live will be the most
valuable piece Of building material ever
used in this country The block will be
made Of virgin silver from the mines of
Bolivia. and will represent the -contribu-
t'tion Of that tiny South American repub-
lie to the project planned by North
American women to honor the bravery
of men.
The proffer of this interesting contribu-
ton comes from an organization OF wom-
Ell Of La Paz. Bolivia, and is made through
Horace g. Knowles. the American Min
lister to Bolivia.
Mr.. Knowles, In a letter to Secretary
of State Knox. explained the plan of
the Bolivian women, and in turn Mr..
Knox notified Mrs John Hays Hammond.
| secretary of the Woman's Titanic Me-
morial that the gift had been made.
In his letter TO Mr.. Knox. Mr.. Knowles
described in a striking manner this trib-
ute from the far of women to the hero
ism Of the men who died on the Titanic:
Touched by the splendid courage and
the unfiinching acceptance of death by
so many noble and distinguished Ameri-
cans In order to save the women and
children, regardless Of their race. class
or social standing: and especially moved
by the responsive hearts of the appre-
ciative women of the United States in
planning an appropriate memorial to ex-
press their admiration for the almost
unparalleled heroism and glorious death
of those brave Americans, the women of
La Paz held a meeting a few days ago
and resolved to demand the privilege of
assisting in the building of the proposed
monument The women of La Paz and
Bolivia contend that the heroes of the
Titanic were the noblest men of all man
kind, greater than Americans, or the
people of any particular nationality; and
the women and children for whom they
SO readily gave their lives were to them
merely women and children of the human
race, and their nationality was never
thought of in those fateful moments.
For that reason they dispute the right
of the women of the United States to re-
serve to themselves the privilege Of
erecting a monument to the honor and
glory of men whose acts make them
heroes of the whole world, OF the en-
tire human race, and whose self-sacri-
fice was Of the grandest and most glo-
rious tribute ever paid to woman. the
most beautiful manifestation of love and
devotion to children. the world has ever
heard of, the details of which have en-
nobled man IN the sight OF women. ana
in every cline and country the world
over have caused her tears to flow and
her heart TO throb. They yearn TO cheer
to pray, to give, to build. TO do some
thing somewhere that such acts OF gio-
rious heroism may be memorahzed. TO
inspire the men Of coming generations
to valance and bravery, to SHOW women
that in the supreme moment the true
man will not fail her, and TO teach all
mankind to the end of the world that the
one great object of life is not to know
how TO live, but to know how TO die.
THE women here have suggested that
their contribution be sent in the form OF
a block of pure silver on which VIII pe
engraved or stamped the names OF the
heroes"