Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-14
A MAINE" MONUMENT.
tubp Proposes TO Use Relics ut Havana
Az Memorial.

The following editorial from tho Havana
Daily Post, telling the story of the neglect
of the Maine relics presented to Cuba by
the United States, will interest patriotic
Americans.
Some four years ago the United state
government completed It's task Of rails |
ing the hattleship Maine from Havana |
harhor Most OF the sacred relics Of the |
shin that caused the birth of the cuban !
nation we're towed ont to sea and given !
an official funeral Wagonloads of beau
tiful flowers floated above the last rest
ing place as the old ship settled down tt
her bed in the ocean. Two nations dppe
their flags in her honor.
From the old ship there were saved
from burial two sets Of relics to help
perpetuate her memory. one was taken
to Washington and in the Arlington Gem
etery there, was used in the erection of
beautiful and fitting monument to the
memory of the ship and the American
| boys who lost their lives within her. Ur-
der the impression that Cuba would ap
| preciate relics from the old ship whose
loss meant the kindling of the fires that
| set her free the Maine commission
| thought to pay a compliment to this re-
public, and ignoring requests from Amer
lean cities to be allowed to show honor to
these relies. the remaining set was coded
to Cuba The relics consisted of the for q
ward turret and two Pinch guns, mo L
appropriate for use on the base of n mon
ument which Cuba promised she wouli
erect to the Maine.
For three wears those sacred relics We're
allowed to he part of dump. Trash and
excrement gathered there. Hundreds OF
visitors every year were astonshed ana
shocked when told that the rusting pile on
the dump before them was the extremely
valuable relics coded by the Maine com
mission.
To have allowed these relics to stay for
three years right where they were un-
loaded by the American engineers was
dsgraceful on the part of Cuba. 1t caused
such Indignation In the United states that
rumors became current there that the
Maine commission intended to ask Cuba
to return the relics in order that they
might be given to some American Citj
which would know how to honor them
simultaneously with the report Of such
action by the Maine commission, Cuba
removed the relics from the wharf to a
vacant lot In Nedado. And there they
are still to-day in the same place. an
omnipresent insult to the United State;
and to the brave American boys whose
lives were snuffed out that February night
Is years ago.
Another year should not go by with
those relics sacred to Americans above /
to lie where they are. Rather let them
be buried. The Cuban Congress begrudgeS
n few pa;ry thousands for Maine mon
ument Therefore let the relics he loaded
n once more on carts, carried to the wharf
placed on barges, and then taken as near
a ly as possible to the grave of the greater
part Of the Maine. There let them be Civ
en- honorable burial so that they will NJ
longer be subjected to the dishonor o.
being treated as a mere junk pile rs they
+, are now. Then no longer will they arouse
the Indignation of Americans to whom
3 they mean so much. No longer will they
lie as a monument of reproach to th'
d Cuban people.