Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-18
As to War Memorials
Gutzon Borglun in Harvey's Weekly.
Letter in response to an appeal for the cree

ton OF a duplicate of the Washington monu-
ment in Paris American war memorial
The subject you have opened is great one :;
let US, so far as we may, discuss it greatly, let
US deal with the occasion for memorial, and
forget nothing. Let us str p to the truth of
things as they were and are. and learn the
reality OF our services, and let us ask France
to confer with as to the fitness of such state
great Pantheon. where rest forever our youth,
together with the youth of the world, who
abandoned their lives that we may live on and
free.
Nor shall in criticism reflect on the beau
ttul borrowed Egyptian needle which you sug-
gest BE again borrowed from our borrowing
and returned to the old world from which it
came. to France, the mistress of modern art!
l shall not criticize the monument on grounds
OF design. 1t is infinitely beautiful it stands,
and chaste enough-comng from SO wanton an
age; but it is in no way related to the subject
we wish to memorialize; it in no way expresses
that which must be expressed, if our boys shall
sleep in Flanders fields" And it is not ours.
1t is in no way "distinctive national creation"
neither is it work of art" We can not even
call it an historical document; it has not the
original qualities even Of the first Brooklyn
bridge, which originated out of the local neces-
sites that cried for expression This Brooklyn
brdge-the hrst one-is full of creative and
original beauty; the other bridges between New
York and Brooklyn are not even good imita-
tons.
monument is but marker, with its me-
mortal data; it is the most sacred legacy we
leave to posterity it must carry the purest ex-
preston OF our best moments. Greece had a
law (trom which Phdias is said to have suf-
fered) that a work of art was the expression
of the people or the state; that it was sacred; ;
and that 1t was a penal ofense for the artist
himself to claim it cut his upon it.
That is true and wonderful thought and it
should be revived A monument is itself mark
upon the face of the world; it is shrine, an
atar-upon it should be inscribed the story of
the deeds that prompted the people to build
it; for it is an altar in permanent service carry
ing its message into eternity And the lam
guage and the spirit must be universal and
understood by all The ancents knew this sim
pie elemental TRUTH and cut their history in
stone and bronze, in forms or characters that
children and strangers understand equally we'll.
If we erect memorial to the service that
this nation, through our sons, rendered cviiza-
ton on that hallowed frontier it must be as
distinct, as unique, contribution to art as that
service was to mankind Let first then de-
termine what that service was.
Was it sacred and unsehsh, was it strug-
gle for fair dealing, for law and morality
against the enemies of these? Was our part
in this war an expression of the national con-
science? That is was the war national? Sec
ond, what sacrifice did we make? What was
the precise character of that sacrifice? Even
its quality will color the character of the me-
mortal that believe, pleads nightly for i'm
mortality. | believe. Also that there is here
wonderful race movement. Third, we must
think OF Its permanency, its relation to the
other memorials that will mark forever that
great red way. Fourth we must consider its
design its craftsmanship. That memorial with
. the other supremacy great memorials-Frances
England's, Americas (Begium's should be at
Liege, where the first great service was rem
dered) should be in granite and in bronze OF
course, it must be large, because it is a world
monument; it commemorate an eopCh in civ
ilizaton it deals with the whole of humanity
and we must avoid the selfish note though we
deal at once with America the borrowed
obelisk called the Washington monument with
all its beauty is inadequate for it's purpose
| have read the letters sent to you prasing
your suggestion and | respect every one of
them but, as | Analysed them, found that they
expressed the desire l have, but were thought
less and uniformed, cropping for something and
Selling your sugge stion-which, after ALL is
the only heroic one that has been offered.
vading your field or France, with his bureau
public building, labeled Memorial" etc.
Thank heaven that farce could be perpetrated
only here at home, and as its originators right
fully say themselves. "let the community that
has neither an understanding spirit nor ma
tional interest build something useful; anything
else would be waste of money" and further,
none of them care"
But the great national tribute to the nations
legions in the world war is another matter, and
| shall watch it as | have watched few events
in our days, and do all in my power to make
it true record of the new worlds true part
in epoch making