Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-09
THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS
IN A SOLDIERS MEMORIAL
Nobler Lessons of the Great Adventure
in France?

Nobler Lessons of the Great Adventure
in France?
FRANCE, gracious and imaginative
always, is already attempting to re-
veal in the symbolism dear to her poetic
spirit something of her gratitude to the
men of the American army. 1t will not
be long until you may find in every
French city of importance some stately
memorial erected in honor of the service
done upon French soil by strangers from
a far place who were said by the little
children to have been sent by God in
the dark days"
British fidelity to traditions of senti-
ment is inspiring similar service in
England. We in America gain most by
the character and service of an army
whose traditions in the years to come
must be an inspiration to the mind and
heart of the nation. Yet so far we have
thought little of the manner in which
the lessons of their sacrifice shall be
made visible.
This duty is peculiarly pressing upon
Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. This
State sent almost 100000 men to the
battlefields and the sea. About 1000
Pennsylvanians gave up their lives in
the struggle. The Philadelphia regi-
ments and the magnifcently named Iron
Division shine already in official records
and in the far more eloquent unofficial
1ppap1c nf tho inc tn ho
seen now whether the resources of our
imagination are adequate to perpetuate
the fine implications of their work
abroad-whether in this city, the sort
of creative art that is eloquent where
words fail can be made to symbolic the
inner meanings of an epic service.
Those who will have to make the de-
signs for great war memorial in Phila-
delphia will have no easy task. They
will have to interpret great and subtle
impulses. Did any army ever go upon
a mission such as ours undertook? There
is certainly no record of the adventure in
familiar history. Our men gave up all
that they cherished and turned aside
from life to go away and fight and die
and endure in order that peoples whom
they had never seen might be happy and
at peace. Here, indeed, is theme to
inspire stateliness and austerity and
tenderness in the work of any artist who
happens to be master.
The memorial arch suggested by
Joseph D. Widener, as chairman of the
Peace jubilee Committee and president
of the Art Jury, is to be temporary
central ornament in a temporary decora-
tive scheme devised for the formal cele-
bration of peace and victory in this city
Mr.. Widener himself and artists gen
orally admit that a permanent arch is
out of the question, since it cannot be
made to fit harmoniously into any mod
ern scheme of city planning. 1t has
been proposed that great symbolic groups
be designed to flank the Parkway some
where near the City Hall end Another
suggestion is for a monumental me-
mortal bridge to be built over the Schuyl-
| kill as connecting link between the
| Parkway and West Philadelphia. Others
| who have thought the matter out believe
that a more appropriate memorial for
Pennsylvania soldiers might take the
! form of a splendid hospital named in
honor of the men who served and died
abroad.
The sum deemed necessary for an ade-
quate memorial is $2,O00,O00. There is
novelty and value in Mr. Widener's sug-
gestion that week be set apart in which
every man, woman and child in the city
may contribute something to this gen.
eral fund-not because the money is not
otherwise available, but in order that
every one may have part in a patriotic
service and sense of spiritual partici-
patton in the completed tribute. And
even a more interesting suggestion OF
Mr.. Widener's is that everybody in the
city do all that is possible to help the
Art Jury by making such suggestions
as they may deem proper with relation t
the site and the form Of memorial
In the end the designs must be left K
the best sculptors and architects who's,
services can be enlisted. But meanwhil,
it is easily conceivable that some on,
whose imagination has been touched b,
sacrifice or loss might offer a guidinl
suggestion of great help and value to tn,
men who will have the work in charge
ReGdsrs of this newspaper are invited t.
aorite to us and e1prees their viei0s.
1t has been already proposed that
great memorial be built at one or tn