New-York tribune., 1919-12-09
Women to Raise
Christmas Fund
For Paris Church
100000 for American Holy
Trinity to Honor Dead
Heroes and Aid Students:
Pershing Praises Drive

A Christmas gift Of 100000 is to
be raised by one hundred New York
women for the memorial and endow-
ment fund for the American Church
of the Holy Trinity, in Paris.
At meeting held yesterday after
noon at the home of Mrs. Whitelaw
Reid, the rector of the church, the Rev.
Frederick W. Beekman, outlined the
plan for the memorial, which has
double purpose-to perpetuate the
France the memory of those who died
in the World War and to provide a fund
which shall minister to young Ameri-
cans in Paris in the coming years in
the same spirit that the church min
istered to the soldiers and sailors
during the war. Ten thousand Ameri-
can students are expected in Paris
within few years, and with them
in view the community work of the
church will be organized under DR..
and Mrs. Beekman.
This church is probably the only
American institution in France
appropriate for the erection of memo
rial tablets and records of the heroism
of our American boys" said DR.. Beck
man. "The American government owns
no embassy, its building being merely
leased. The church is also rendered
particularly appropriate for memorial
purposes, because it is hallowed by the
memories of boys in khaki and blue
and marine green who worshipped there
every Sunday during the war, many of
whom attended their last religious
service there"
Tablets for Combat Divisions
1t is proposed to erect tablets for
the individual combat divisions in the
cloister Of the church, to preserve the
war flags of the Allies, and to have
gold star books, containing the records
and the place of burial of members of
the A. E. F., which will be open to all
visitors. In this church the Americans
in Paris will each year observe Memo
direct the work of decorating the
graves of American soldiers through
out France.
The Rev. DR.. Ernest M. Stires pre-
sided over the meeting. Lieutenant
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, General
Robert E. Bullard and Admiral Wilson
praised the work Of the American
Church during the war. A letter was
read from General Pershing indorsing
the campaign.
"The most tender and sacred memo
ries of the officers and men of the A.
E. r. cling to your church." he wrote.
Colonel Roosevelt told some stories
of men in his regiment who died under
fire, and ended by saying, in reference
to the proposed endowment fund for
future work among young Americans
in Paris:
at is worthy of the American spirit
that in constructing a memorial to
them it should be not merely a pile
of stones"
Prayers Aboard Ship
Admiral Wilson testified to the great
numbers of navy men who had enjoyed
service in the American Church.
"The war awakened the religious
feelings of many men," he said 81
was continually impressed by the num-
Der of those who attended divine serv-
ice on the ships crossing the sea. 1t
face of German submarines and the
men felt the shadow of death lowering
over them. They prayed, not as the
Germans prayed, boasting that God
was on their side, but they tried to be
God-fearing, SO that at least He would
notfbe against them. The answer is
that we carried them all across in
safety, so apparently He was not
against u.s.
Pledge cards were distributed through
the audience and the women were
asked to give $1,000 each or to join
committee of 100, whose members are
to raise $1,000 each. The men of New
York interested in the American
Church are raising another portion of
the $5O0,000 which is to be Americas
total contribution to the memorial. In
Paris 100000 has been raised
The headquarters of the fund are at
8 West Fifty-first Street. DR.. Stires
is chairman of the committee, Major A.
G. Thacher secretary, and Captain Ell
liot Bacon, treasurer. Other women
members beside Mrs. Reid are Mrs. J.
Borden Hartman, Mrs. Willard
Straight, Mrs. Robert Bacon, Mrs
Charles B. Alexander and Mrs. Bar
clay Warburton.