Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-12-26
WILL HONOR MEMORY
OF IOWA'S SOLDIERS
MOVEMENT ON FOOT TO ERECT
SUITABLE MEMORIALS FOR
IOWA HEROES

the University of iowa, in the Christ
mas mum Der of The Iowa Alumnus
DR.. Weller believes that encourage
ment should be given to the erection
of artistic hero memorials in honor
of Iowa's dead soldiers and urges the
use for that purpose of monuments OF
sculpture. The article follows:
Compared with the tremendous
losses of England and France in the
great war, our American casualty
lists have been remarkably small. BY
themselves they are lamentaly large
Nearly sixty thousand have paid the
price Of liberty with their lives. and
scarcely a county in the United
States has remained unscathed. These
gallant soldiers died that America
might live. 1t is fitting and proper
that now at the end o fthe conflict we
should turn our minds to the perpet-
uation of their memory.
Those who insist that substantial
monuments are needless to remind us
of our losses will find il hard to gain
| sympathy. To be sure. no tablet of
bronze can bring our sons back to us.
No marble figure can express our APP
probation of their sacrifice. We
shall do well. however, for the en-
couragement and inspiration of our
selves and our descendants, to honor
in some material way our friends
who have gone. Memorials of their
heroism will help us and our chill
dren unto many generations to real
ize what 1t has cost to maintain this
nation. Every effort should be made
to forward the construction of suit
able memorials throughout our com
monwealth.
AS to what form these memorials
shall assume there will be many
minds. In one state it is already
proposed to plant long avenues of
trees. One metropolitan city con-
templates building a great temple OF
heroes. Some would dedicate tri-
umphal arches. One thing Is APP
parent; that never before in the his
tory of our county has so great in
terest developed in the building of
public memorials To the lover of
arts this temper of our people comes
as a welcome evidence not only of pa
triotism-which II surely is-but al
so of dawning concern for things
that are beautiful. Such an interest
America has needed.
And our memorials should be
beautiful. 1t would be worse than a
blunder-it would be ludicrous. II
our efforts to honor the sacred mem
DRY of our fallen warriors should
have it's issue in those monstrosities
to which at times we have been adj
dicted We must exercise discrim
nation is our choice of memorials,
and we must see to it that they are
executed by competent artists.
II will seem rather commonplace If
in choosing our memorials. We look
! too CLOSELY 4, grsstv. Parks, ave
nnes and trees are ..d,utrablc. We
need them But somehow they do
not meet our present desire for some
thing distinctive. They are like
handkerchiefs and hosiery for Christ.
mas. when we long for remembrances
that are different. For the honor OF
our dead we want something out of
the ordinary, Something that will eX-
alt and inspire us to emulate their
brave deeds
Large cities will find the problem
| a bit easier of solution than small
towns. Memorial temples. triumph
al arches, handsome boulevards will
not drain their resources. For our
smaller cities l can conceive OF no
other memorials quite so appropriate
as distinguished works of sculpture.
In expressing this view am giving
due regard both to form and to ex-
pense. Obviously such plastic mon
uments may be either reliefs or stat
utes in the round, eXigencies of loca-
ton and funds would determine
| which to choose.
European precedent for the cree
ton of memorial statues is centuries
old France furnishes many exam
pies. Her famous monuments arc
not confined by the boundaries OF
Paris. Little hamlets possess their
superb statues and expect to rear
others in the future. Even while
the war still ragged and the decision
hung in the balance. France began Ia
carve monuments not alone for her
own dead, but for her American al
lies. Sicard's fine monument for the
Poilu Is ready to be cast in bronze
and will be set up 1T is said. at the
intersection of the Champs Elysees
and the Avenue Alexandra III. The
marble stella erected by the French in
Lorraine to the memory of the first
Americans who fell there Is one of
| the man yof her choice little monu-
| ments. President Wilson has been
invited to lay the cornerstone of a
magnificent monument in honor OF
America. for which the Councils OF
Gironde and Bordeaux have given
| their first subscription of 100000.
| Scores OF others are sure to follow
| France is the Greece of today; she
knows how to do these things.
While any little city of France may
possesse such monuments American
cities have almost none. Off-hand
can think of but one example in Iowa
outside of cemeteries. Happily
that example is excellent. A suit
able memorial statue--an ideal fig
ure. of course. not a portraits not
beyond the means OF any community in
Iowa. Statues cost money. Those
designed by our greatest suclptors
| cost lot OF money. Fortunately
America can now boast many young
er artists of ability and originality.
Their work will be quite within
| reach.
Two practical difficulties arise; not
| many local communities-will be ac-
quainted with competent artists; nor
will they have the hardihood. one
hopes. to trust their own Judgment
in choosing "a design. A simple so.
luton of their difficulties may be
suggested Should the general as.
sembly see fit to authorize the gov
ernor to appoint commission of five
or seven persons. appeal might be
made to these for aid In negotiating
with artists and in adjusting nice
questions of taste. The members OF
such commission would serve with.
out compensation: they would need
a few hundred dollars for expenses
A well chosen group of men and
women could do much toward build.