Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-27

You take 1t for granted that what we
men who have had a share in this
war want is to forget. We don't.
We want to remember"
1t Is this same sentiment, this de-
sire to remember as we'll as to honor,
that inspires today the universal de-
sire manifest in all parts of this
broad land of ours to erect war me-
MORALS. Wise counselors have said:
Make haste slowly. Wait until after
the peace treaty is signed and the
boys have all come home, and the lit
tie things are lost sight of, then build
memorials"
But the people of the United States
will not wait. While the hearts are
still burning some expression, must
be given, and it is reasonable and
right in many instances that this
should be SO.
We do not want to forget. And
yet, II it is supposed that our de-
sire, the universal desire which Is
taking shape and finding expression
all over the country, is to commence
rate horrors, or even victory, it is a
mistake. That which is clamorihg
in peoples hearts for expression is
the feeling of patriotism, the willing
ness to sacrifice and be sacrificed for
a great cause which for time ex-
allied the nation. 1t is not material
things, but immaterial things which
the people as a whole are now eager
q 70 Nd
comes neither from grief nor from
sense Of triumph. but from an ac-
tual desire to hold fast to something
which was noble and fine and pre-
cious
What, we ask ourselves, have other
nations in the past done under similar
circumstances? They have erected
triumphant arches such as those In
Rome and those in Paris. They have
built bridges, for example, the Alex
ander ii bridge across the Seine. They
have put up columns like the Trajan
column; they have resorted to sculp-
ture and to painting These great war
memorials have invariably been the
works of great artists-the greatest
artists Of the time-and they have
served. and still serve, as ornaments
to the cities in which they stand.
And what have we done? During
the past half century hundreds and
thousands of dollars have been spent
in the United States for memorials of
the civil war. Writing of some of
those in Washington. Hamilton w.
Mabie once said that it was to be
hoped that future generations would
realize that they had been erected
through Ignorance, not in malice"
Too often. alas, has the purpose which
prompted the erection Of a memorial
failed. not of good intention, but be-
cause Of IGNORANCE on the part Of
those In whose hands fell the matter
Of choice Of design and Of artist.
And yet, In spite Of the unworthi-
ness of many Of the civil war monu-
ments. we have in this country today
few monumental memorials which
stand with the best in the world For
example. the Washington Monument
and the Lincoln Memorial in this city,
the Sherman and the Farragut statues
In New York, the Shaw memorial in
Boston. all three of these works in
sculpture by the late Augustus Saint
Gaudens. Notable for merit as en-
bodying the spirit of patriotism and
self-sacrifce is also. the statue of
Nathan Hale in City Hall Square, New
York. by Frederick Macmonnies.
Charming as memorial is the McMIl-
Ian fountain in this city by Herbert
Adams. Beautiful are the memorial
gateways. at Harvard University and
at Princeton University. and eminent
ly satisfactory are the memorial hall
in the former and the tower on the
graduate school Of the latter.
A soldiers and sailors monument.
Of which the country at large may
be proud. is a simple work, archi-
tectural in design. consisting Of three
columns, surmounted by an eagle.
and with seats at the base, designed
by A. ID. F. Hamlin, architect. and
Herman A. MacNeil, sculptor. and
erected in the little manufacturing
town Of Whitinsville. Mass. Daniel
G. Trench's Minute Man." at Con-
cord Mass commemorative the he