The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-12-27
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
OPPOSES BRIDGE MEMORIAL.
Henry c. Whitaker of Chicago Thinks
Memorial Should Be Merely That.

Editor, Barre Daily Times Have just
read your editorial in the issue of Dec. II
advocating as memorial to those who
served their country in the great war
just closed, the construction of a bridge
over Jail branch. | know that your in
tentions were OF the best and that your
attitude has always been commcndable
in boosting Che best interests of Barre,
but in this case l am sure that if you
think it over you viii agree with me
that you are in the wrong.
This is the first time in my life that |
have ever tried to air my own views in
somebody else's publication and would
not do so now but that no one else APP
pears to have called your attention to
this and I cannot refrain from saying
few words about such matter, notwith-
standing the fact that by force OF cir
cumstances / am no longer a voter in the
best town on earth, the greatest monu-
ment producing center of the world.
In the first place, / am convinced that
when we undertake to commemorate the
priceless service of the boys who took
part in this great struggle for liberty, we
should base our desire upon one unified
purpose. The conception of the memorial
should be such as to prove for all time
that it was dedicated to the memory of
our heroes and to no other subject. 1t
seems to me TO be a sacrilege, uninten-
tional though it may be, for any commu-
nifty that may have been long in need of
new bridge, a public hall, hospital,
library or any other utility, to ease its
conscience at time like this by seizing
the opportunity TO erect such structure
under the guise of perpetuating the mem
DRY of its heroes.
The boys of 1917 and 1918 are entitled
to greater recognition than this. They
are entitled to a memorial dedicated to
them alone and one which shall be con
fused with no other thoughts than Of
their great service and the cause for
which it was rendered,
Barre has built greater number of
memorials to American soldiers and sail
ors than any other monument producing
center, and yet it has never built one for
its own soldiers and sailors.
The welfare Of every man, woman and
child in Barre is contingent upon the sen
timent which animates people to erect
memorials in public places and in GENE
teries.
Barre has been spending large sum
recently to foster this sentiment, and on
the other hand certain magazine pub
lished in the interest of those who build
works for municipalities has launched q
nation wide campaign to discourage that
sentiment and induce the people to build
Libraries, hospitals bridges, etc, as me
MORALS, instead of following the time
honored custom of erecting public monu-
ments.
| should be very much disappointed ii
Barre should fall into the trap and com
NIT such a grievous error as to pass up
the opportunity of placing in its public
park or some other suitable location
masterpiece of memorial art that will
forever and constantly tell its story Of
the sacrifice made by Barre's young man.
hood at the call of American liberty,
memorial so designed and constructed as
to force the attention Of future genera.
tions of young men and young women TO
the duty they will owe to those who
made this sacrifice, that they may see
the glory Of patriotism in peace as well
as in war and undertake to do their part
in making a worthwhile use of the liber-
ty that men died in defense of during
what we hope win be the last war among
nations.
memorial conceived along this line
will carry out your aim, but a bridge
such as you suggest, while ii might en-
dure as a utility, would not be of force
as a memorial and would soon be forgot
ten as such
Furthermore, if Barre asks the people
elsewhere in the United States to erect
memorials of this character, let Barre
practice what it breaches.
Thanking you for your indulgence,
remain A very fond son of the Granite
City. H. c. Whitaker.
Oak Park, ILL.,, Dec. 25, 1918.