The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-11-07
MEMORIAL CHAPEL
FAVORED BY LEGION
Non-Utilitarian Memorial to States
Dead Strongly Indorsed by
Veterans.


somewhat extended debate the initial
annual convention of the American
Legion of Sout hCarolina, which met
here today in the hall of the House
of ceorc c5er :atives, by On a,nost
unanimous vote rejected a resolution,
introduced by J. Hertz Brown,
delegate from Spartanburg, provid-
ing for memorial hospital, COM
memorative of those South Carolin-
.ians in the service of the nation who
made the supreme sacrifice in the
world war, instead of the memorial
chapel provided for by an act OF the
General Assembly.
Subsequently another resolution
endorsing a non-utilitarian building
or monument as fitting memorial
was adopted by the convention.
Thee hospital resolution asked the
General Assembly to make the ne
cessary amendment in the existing
law, SO that the utilitarian build
ing instead of the memorial chapel
be built. The resolution said that
the building, if the General Assembly
was favorably disposed toward the
idea s.shall be a great memorial hos
pital where suffering may be relieved,
disease eradicated and the. citizens
of this state made more fit for her
service"
Act of General Assembly.-The
last session of the General Assembly
passed the act providing for the
erection Of the memorial chapel on
the ground owned by the University
of South Carolina. The measure
carried an appropriation of $780,
5000 with the stipulation that it was
TO be augmented by public subscrip-
ton among the citizens of the State.
1T IS created commission, Of which
Governor Cooper is chairman, and
sex-Goyernor Manning, vice chair
man, to carry on the campaign and
provide for the memorial The COM
mission decided that the people of
the state would be asked to contrib
nte $500, 900.
Almost from the first meeting of
the commission, opposition to the
idea Of nonutilitarian building was
expressed A campaign bolstered by
u deal Of publicity, has been waged
bringing to the fore the hospital
adea, the underlying plea being that
the ex-soldiers wanted something
which would be Of service instead Of
ornamental, by which their fallen
comrades would be remembered. A
7. petition was presented to the mem
eorial commission asking for consider
:.satioa of the hospital idea, but the
commission took the position that
the Legislature had spoken and it
was mandatory upon it under the act
to go on. with the original project
for. a memorial chapel. So the
solicitation for funds was commenced
aon. September 29th.
Indifference Explained. The can
paign for subscriptions has met with
.iIdiif ferent success since the "drive"
began, thought principally to be due
SO the propaganda in favor of the
hospital project. However, the
friends of the present memorial
chapel idea are now confident that
the solicitation for funds will take on
an impetus as the voice of the South
Carolina world war veterans, the
American Legion, they contend, has
spoken for it and has demonstrated
what the wishes Of the ex-soldiers
are.
The resolution adopted by the con-,
yention reads:
Whereas, the Legislature of
South Carolina in it's wisdom and
after mature deliberation appropriat-
ed the sum of $4,000 and created
commission for the purpose of
erecting a suitable memorial build
ing to our comrades who fell in the
recent war; and,
Whereas, there has been since
that time considerable agitation de-
signed to change the form of mem
ol1sl from that~design contemplated
by tine Legislature to hospital; and,
Whereas, we believe that men,
oriat building or some suitable monu-
ment isaa more fitting type Of mem !
orial 'thana hospital, and that all
agitation at this time as to change
aaMed only to create uncertainty !
and to hamper the raising of the !
fund; now, therefore, be it