The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-07-24
TOBe EreCtedatthe
l Archaeological and
Dedicated oOurBous
WhoHaveF SUI.
fered and Given Their
Lives for the Freedom
Of the World.

EN- of II and 70! The men Of 1917
1 have maintained the legacy left by
Nu l the men Of 17T6, and have paid the
debt incurred. The odd coincidence
kCxYVYN In numbers stands as the symbol or
kSSJ a real bond
Washington borrowed of France the
men and the money that saved the day for the
freedom Of the colonies. Wilson sent back TO
France the and the money that saved the day
for the freedom of the nations. We repaid La
fayette with Pershing
There is a universal eagerness to build fitting
memorial to the heroes of the Of wars. Monu-
ments will spring up all the United States to
individual men, officers and organizations. But
there is an insstent demand for one great national
memorial.
The only place for it is of course the capital OF
the country and Washington has been and Will be
in large sense the capital of the world
No memorial will be appropriate which has not
a lasting value and dignity of usefulness as well
as beauty and splendor No statue or group OF
statues could be reared which would express what
this memorial must express No column OF melted
cannon though 1t were made of steel barrels mile
high, would convey the message. An imperial arch
would imply nothing more than gateway for con-
querors and would act simply as an obstruction
to traffic.
The right memorial must be temple, temple
of architectural grandeur, n museum for statues,
busts tablets archives and interesting relics, q
place of daily resort, and q meeting place for
national gatherings.
1t is an amazing fact that washington-the seat
of our national government the center Of world
activity, the Of congresses-has no large and
dignified meeting place. convention hall of any
The memorial described will therefore meet
pressing need
What ideal should this memorial most wildly
express? OF what religion should the temple be?
Surely, the religion Of freedom Of democracy, Of
equality and of opportunity.
II should express the triumph Of the ideals OF
Washington and the founders Of this Republic
those ideals have spread through the world and
united in the recent bloody victory the spirit
of autocrncy.
BY strange good fortune these ideals can be i'm
medately realized Construction can begin at once.
Since George Washington would accept no money
for his services to the nation two gifts voted
TO him, consisting of a sum In cash, which he
disposed of as an endowment to the university
now known Washington and Lee the other a
number Of stock certificates valued then at $4,000.
The latter amount he set aside In his will to be
used as a cumulative fund for the diffusion of
knowledge. In the vicissItudes Of time the stock
he bequeathed lost its value and the dying wish Of
the father of his country seemed likely to remain
forever untufled.
Recently movement was set on foot to fulfil
tho wish. The George Washington Memorial asso-
citation was formed and various projects were adj
yanced among them the foundation of n university
But the country had now fully bossomed with
universities, every state having its own. Mrs
Henry T. Dimock sister of William c. whitney,
who as secretary OF the navy won the title of
"Father of the New American Navy" was elected
president Of the association.
with characteristic energy Mrs. Dimock has set
about the accomplishment of the ideal national
committee. including eminent men and women from
all sections of the country, has been formed and
NEARLY half a million dollars already collected, In
addition 20 still larger amount pledged.
The association has procured from congress the
rraot of an ideal tract of land which formerly
occupied by the Pennsylvania station. and Mt pres.
ent covered in part by temporary buildings Of the
war department This is almost the only desirable
site remaining unoccupied In Washington
A competition in designs for the building was
participated In by dozen Of the foremost Amer