New-York tribune., 1921-10-17
Help Disabled
\ ctcrans |, irst,
Cslrr;an Urges
City Wide Memorials 70
Heroes Can Come Later,
Says Mayoralty Nominee
at Monument Ceremony
Spirit Of Sacrifice Lives
Neighborhood Tributes 10
Fallen Sons Best, He
Declares in BROOKLYN
Spirit Of Sacrifice Lives

Henry II. Curran. Rcpubltca coatt-
zion candidate for Mayor, spoke yester-
day afternoon at the ceremonies OF
laying the cornerstone Of the replica
OF d monument to be erected In Zion
Park, Pitkin Avenue and Grafton
Street, Brooklyn. as a memorial to the
soldiers and sailors who died In the
World War. The exercises were under
the auspices of the Citizens Mem orial
Committee. the Soldiers and Sailors
Memorial Committee of the American
Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign
Wars. Former Alderman Alexander S.
Drescher was chairman. Mr.. Curran
said in part:
Il want to congratulate you on what
you are doing, but more than that on
the spirit which prompts you to do 1t
n this way. | never had any patience
with any Of the projects for huge. ex-
peusiye city wide memorials. Perhaps
they will come later. but the time for
them is still far away. We can better
use the money that would build them
for the relief of our sick and wounded
veterans.
First Duty TO Disabled
~Our hrst duty 10 TO tho sich and
wounded OF today Later on. whom
this wax has become o memory and
the gentle mantle OF time has softened
the edge Of It's hurts and Its anguish,
We can build great memorial that
will tower aloft through the genera
tons SIS a living token Of the tender
ness of New York's regard for the
memory of her sons and daughters who
fell in this cause.
ain the mean time you are building In
Brownsville this modest monument to
the memory OF your own intimate
friends and neighbors who fell in the
service of our country.
you are dong this with your own
funds, and 1t springs from real and
intimate regard Of what the war meant
20 you In your own homes. This 10 the
KIND of memorial that counts. This
is the kind that is real. We have more
of them than you think.
Il have seen the little neighborhood
memorials in every part OF tho clly.
In my own neighborhood hagstan IN
Washington Square bears on its ped
estal, in craven letters, the names OF
men who we're my friends, who lie in
France to-day; and there, hard by the
Washington Arch, you will see the
colors floating from this memorial flag
staff every day Of the year
I'm the Bronx the trees that line the
Concourse bear, ever. one Of them, a
bronze tablet upon which appears the
name of a Bronx man who did aot come
back
Same Spirit Everywhere
"If you go beyond the boundaries Of
our wonderful city you will find In VII
lage after village a memorial that has
sprung up from the village green. We
have very few village greens in New
York, but even in the brick and stone
that make up the outward. visible garb
OF our city we find the same spirit be-
meath, and the little memorials ara
springing up in one neighborhood af-
ter another They take the form Of
tablets on the wal S at times, and where
there is q monument on the ground
there is usually very little grass around
It, Some Of them may seem poor
things as you LOOK at them, but away
beyond and behind the ph sical dis
comfort and uqliness in which we live
in many parts Of New York I know
tina there shines the spirit of service
of patriotism and regard for those VINO
have gone, waich makes possible such
ceremony az this"