The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-05-16

EN- of II and 70. The of 1917
lAAv have maintained the legacy left by
N l the men of 1916 and have paid the
debt incurred The odd coincidence
NV~N in numbers stands the symbol OF
N0 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
Frlnce the and the money that saved the day
for the freedom of the nations. We repaid La
fa:ette with Pershing.
There is universal engerness to build fitting
memorial To the heroes of the war of wars. Monu-
ments will spring up all over the United States TO
individual officers and organizations But
there is insistent demand for great national
memorial.
The only place for it is, of the capital Of
the country. and Washington has been and Will be
in Il large sense the capital of the world.
No memorial will be appropriate which has not
a lasting value and dignity of usefulness as well
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 it We're made of steel barrels a 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 museum for statues,
husts. tablets. archives and interesting relics
place of daily resort, and meeting place for
national gatherings
1t is an amazing fact that Washington-the seat
of our national government. the center of world
activity the mecca of congresses-has no large and
dignifed meeting place convention hall of any
dimensions.
The memorial described will therefore meet a
pressing need.
What ideal should this memorial most vivdly
express? OF what religion should the temple be7
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 autocracy.
BY strange good fortune these ideals be I'M
medately realized Construction can begin at once
Since George Washington would accept money
for his services the nation two gifts voted
to him. one consisting of a sum in cash, which he
disposed of endowment to the university
now known as Washington and Lee; the other a
number of stock certificates valued then at 5000
The latter amount he set aside in his will to be
used as {; cumulative fund for the diffusion of
knowledge. In the vicisstudes of time the stock
he bequeathed lost its value and the dying wish OF
the father of his country seemed likely to remain
forever untulfed.
Recently a movement was set on foot to fulfill
the wish The George Washington Memorial asso-
citation was formed and various projects ad-
yanced among them the foundation of university
But the country had now fully blossOmed with
universities every state having its own. Mrs
Henry F. Dimock. sister of William c. Whitney
who as secretary of the navy won the title OF
"Father Of the New American Navy" 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 million dollars already collected. In
addition to a still larger amount pledged.
The association has procured from congress the
grant Of an ideal tract Of land which formerly
soA hv fho navl atA nd n
ent covered in part by temporary buildings Of the
war department This is almost the only desirable
site remaining unoccupied in Washington.
competition in designs for the building was
uarfdcfpated in BY . dozen ID the foremost Amer