The Washington herald., 1912-04-29

ed a campaign more gigantic that any
other OF its kind IN the history Of the
world to erect in this city a perpetual
memorial to the heroism Of mankind
brought out so tragieally by the men
who died on the Titanic that the wom-
en- might be saved.
Mrs. John Hay. wife of former Secre-
tary Of State Hay, and Mrs. John Hays
Hammond, wife of the multimillionaire
mining engineer. are in personal charge
Of the movement. Mrs. william Howard
Taft, wife OF the President Of the United
States, has contributed the first dollar
toward its fulhllment But from these
three the movement Is spreading over
the entire country. It is Cor all wom-
ep, of all positions, color. race, and
creed. The wife Of the President con-
tributed only one dollar, but that was
all that was asked. That is all that
is asked of any woman.
The movement was launched at a
meeting held in this city Thursday
night. At that time plans were laid
for the formation of a committee Of
one hundred" to further the work This
committee will be national in its scope.
comprising membership from every State
in the Union. And already letters are
pouring in from women Of worldwide
must work for their living. All will
work together.
Sent ThrouEhout Country.
AS a result of this preliminary work.
tens Of thousands of letters have been
sent broadcast to the women of every
where in the United States. asking them
to contribute 81 toward the erection OF
a lasting memorial to the men who gave
up their own lives to save those or their
sisters Many responses have already
been received from the nearer localities.
Before the end of the week dollar bills
VIII be pouring in from everywhere. The
committee expects TO dedicate the memo
rial before the expiration Of the year.
The money that has come in is being
handled 50 that, of itself, It will swell
the fund Edward ]. Stellwaaen Presi-
dent of the Union Trust Company Of
the District, and George X. McLanahan,
a prominent attorney, have been chosen
treasurer and honorary counsel OF the
memorial-both positions entirely with
out salary. Mr.. SteIlwagen, who be-
came nationally known as chairman OF
the last inaugural committee, has donated
of1ces In the Union Trust Company
There the incoming mail is received and
the thousand and one details fnseperable
to campaign which reaches across an.
entire continent are looked after. AZ
fAst aszthe SUBSCRIPTIONS come in they
are banked, and from that minute. they
begin to draw per cent interest
Mr.. Stellwagen and Mr.. McLanahan
are the only two men connected with
the entire memorial For the rest the
entire gigantic campaign Of hero recog-
milton is in the hands-of women. Women
will do all the soIiciting-although it can
scarcely properly be called by that name
TT-fTT IL Ill a. \
women will do all the receiving.
Memorial in Capital.
Nor. despite the fact that the idea
found its birth in this city. is the memo
rial being conducted by the women of
Washington 1t is being conducted by
the women of America Only sfter :oug
and most serious of consideration was 1t
decided to erect the memorial in this
city. The decision was finally reached
solely because Washington Is the Ma
tons Capital and hence belongs to all
States equally. The men who went down
on the Titanic that women might live
came from all the States. There is
scarcely city in the nation that is not
grief-stricxen over its own Titanic dead
Hence a Titanic memorial in the Ma
tion's Capital will belong to all sections
alike. And this is as it should be.
In order to make the national import
of the memorial final in it's absolutism
few Washington women have been
chosen TO serve on the committee Of
one hundred"
And as the memorial viii be national
in its import, so win It be national even
down to the small details. No mention
of individual names will be made on the
bronze pillars and marble columns to be
erected. The men of the orchestra, who
standing knee-deep in fee chilled water,
went down to their death playing
Nearer, Ny God, to Thee" the stokers,
the oilers, and the coal passers will
rank with the men whose names were
listed on the first cabin list. For after
all, the humble stoker, with his pitifuI
wage of a few dollars monthly, was Just
as much hero in his own modest way
as Col. John Jacob Astor, with his mill
lions, or, even our own Mai Archibald
Butt. All had but one thing to give
their lives. And all gave II willingly
without a murmur.
Memory of Death.
1t is more than a century since the
women Of the land. back in the colonial
days, sold their clothes. sacrificed their
jewels, even Starved themselves, Is aid
their husbands and brothers in their
fight for independence. Then they were
are asked to sacrifice self, though in Ear |
lesser degree. to the memory Of death |
The manner in which these women of |
to-day are responding shows that the |
spirit Of those former days still reigns |
strong. So much did the plan appeal |
TO Mrs. Taft. wife of the President of !
the nation, that in contributing the first |
dollar she abandoned the custom she has |
followed ever since she has been in the |
White House and commented on the |
memorial in signed statement, which
read:
IL gives me pleasure to start the
we hn's Titanic memorial fund by Civ
in =. the frst dollar. / am glad to do 1
this IN gratitude to the chivalry OF Amer
lean manhood, and am sure that every /
woman will feel that the smaIlness Of I
the contribution solicited viii enable her
70 90 the'same. helen H. TAFT"
Unlike all other memorials, the plan
TO honor the Titanic dead is not con-
nected with any. fixed amount Of money.
It is merely hoped that every woman
viii give her mite-the greater the num-
Der Of givers the greater. the more mag
niheent, the more lasting win be the
And the greater also win be
the tribute to the women Of to-day and
their sense Of appreciation.
Appeal to Every Woman.
With this object IN view. then. an ef-
fort win be made to reach either per-
sonally or by mail every woman IN the
United States There are approximately
q non ,u,or,,crsai .I,,ha tr, fka co,,r4rr, - |