The Colorado statesman., 1921-07-02

save the historic places In the village
from the decay that more thun threat.
ems.
Incident Of Forty Years Ago.
Once the Frenchmen and the Ger
mans came to Virginia shores In their
great ships and there was trouble.
1t was at Yorktown forty years ago
next October that the Frenchmen and
Germans quurreled first with the Amer
lean authorities and then with each
other. II was the Americans fault,
probably, in the first instance, but
they committed the oifense unwltting-
ly and made amends when they could.
The trouble was that IL making
amends they patched up the German
pride while wOunding that OF the
French still more sorely.
The Germans We're invited to take
hand In the celebration of the centen-
NAL of the surrender of CORVALLIS
because of the part Baron Steuben
bore In the struggle of the Americans
for their liberties. There were no
| Germans, SO far ns Is known, at the
battle of Yorktown, where the French
bore heroic part in the fight; new
ertheless, at the instance of Horatio
Seymour of New York, the German
nation was given principal share In
the commemoration exercises in the
vllluge and harbor of Yorktown. IL
Horatio Seymour were living today
he probably would be sorry that he
interfered in behalf of the Germans at
that celebration
Here and there in Yorktown are
substantial old dwelling of the colo
nial period. They will outlast many
buildings of later day for they
were founded on the rock of honest
construction. One old place has tow
rring chimneys that. with the rest of
the house, have u time-weary look,
but dissolution is not in sight because
the builders bullded we'll This is the
Thomas Nelson house, and for a time
Cornwallis made it his headquarters,
n fact which came to the knowledge
of the owner, who was with Washing
ton in the ranks of the besiegers.
Col. Nelson Sheled His Own House.
Colonel Nelson went to the COM
mander in chief and told him that the
that If the guns could be brought to
bear with the residence as u mark
CORVALLIS might be crushed under the
falling walls if there was good heavy
gun mnrksman in the American army.
They tell you today in Yorktown that
Colonel Nelson told his chief that he
would sacrifice fifty homesteads If he
owned them to put CORVALLIS on the
hospital list
The American gunners fired away
at the walls of the Nelson house and
hit them three or four times. Corn
wallis was there, but 1t did not take
him long to learn the drift of the
shooting, and he took refuge in
cave under II pnrapet of brick work
and sand, and there he lay safely.
knowledge of the change of headquar-
ters came TO Washington and the
mouths of the old smOoth-bore cannon
were turned away from the Nelson
residence. which today bears the marks
of the firing.
Victory Memorial Building.
Constant inquiries are coming to
Washington, addressed generally TO
lIltlilleIS VI CullSltSS, inc
real purpose of the George Washing
ton memorial building, also to be
known as the Victory Memorial
building, which is to be erected here
ut cost of several millions of dol
lars.
Representative julius Kahn, chair
man of the house committee on mil
itary affairs, has seen fit to set forth
the intent of congress in the matter
of the memorial building. He says
the intent is that the auditorium in
the building shall be available for
such conventions as are civic, scien-
titic, educational, patriotic, and ma
tional or international In character.
1t is now believed that the corner
stone for the great building will be
laid on Armistice day, November IL.
and that Marshal FOch of the French
armies will be present in ,ttis city to
take part in the ceremonies. 1t is
also probable that Admiral Beatty Of
the British navy will be present. The
general and the admiral have been
invited by the municipal officials of
Kansas City, Mo-, to be present at
the convention of the members ot he
American Legion which will be held
there the last week in October of this
year. General Foch tentatively has
accepted the invitation and General
Beatty's acceptance is expected.
Much has been written about the
Victory Memorial building. 1t is pos
sible today to write something more
definite concerning it because tie half
million dollars necessary to start the
project on its way already has been
subscribed.
Gold and Blue Stars in the Ceiling.
Since last writing about the great
memorial. new plans have developed.