Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1921-05-05
WHY ~MEMoRIAL"z


world war began and it is now more
than four years since America was
drawn into the whirlpool of death and
destruction Then followed months
of feverish excitement we pre-
pared to perform our part IN the
great drama of devastation-not that
we might be able to destroy, but that
might conserve and save to the
world at large remnant of that
Christian civilization which had taken
centuries to build and which seemed
doomed to destruction within decade
We went in, not for the glory of war,
but that war might be ended and
peace and international righteousness
prevail. Within fifteen months we
had trained, equipped and transported
millions of our young men to the bat
tlefields of Europe, willing, ready and
prepared for any duty, any sacrifice
the war-weary world required of
them. Following them there went
thousands of our young women
missions of mercy, to succor the sick
and suffering, to save the wounded
and to Soothe and comfort the dying
in their last hours on earth. And
then the great war ended-ended in
scarcely more than eighteen months
after the day we laid hands upon the
tragic implements of warfare. Shall
we forget? Can we forget?
And how was it with those who re-
mained at home? We poured out
billions of treasure; millions of our
women took up the burden suddenly
thrust upon them by the needs of our
national heroes; they dug and deIved
at home that there might be a sus-
tanning surplus both here and there;
| %0I rod
materials; they piled needle and
thread at Red Cross and '@Y'' work
rooms or knitted away the lonely
hours at their iiresides, thinking only
of the plight of their absent ones,
some of them to return no more for
everi Shall We forget and blot out
of our minds the memory of those
days of sacrifice? Should we not
rather keep before US reminder of
those hours of travail and keep ever
fresh before us a vision of those fair
young faces and stalwart forms that
marched away to challenge fate in
the Land of the Great Adventure
But how shall we show our graft
tuudel How shall we keep in great
full remembrance those toilsome
hours of humble devotion, those days
of daring deeds of sacrifice, those
| weeks ana mOnCnS OF weary
| for the boys to come again? Yes,
| they did come home-most of them
two years ago. Have we forgotten
| already how glad we were to see
| them /? How proud we were of those
boysl They had covered themselves
with glory-a glory that reflected up
| on all of US. 1t was worth the heri-
| tage of a kingdom just to be called
| an Americani We published to the
whole wide world our pride in those
| boys and their accomplishments and
we even confessed it to the boys
themselves. We told them there was
| nothing too good for them, because
| we felt that way We told them
| their good deeds should be remem-
bered-never forgotten-and to that
end numerous and various means
were proposed; monuments, marble
and brass tablets, memorial windows
of stained glass; libraries and club
rooms for their instruction and en-
! tertainment; auditoriums and COM
munity centers were to be erected
and named in their honor And now,
after two years, what have we done :?
| In few places monuments have been
| erected; in few public buildings
memorial windows are tinting the
/
/ tablets have been erected and suit
| ably inscribed to the honor and in
! memory of the American soldier, but
| nothing has been done in our irnmedi-
| ate vicinity.
! What shall we do? Monuments of
/ marble and bronze and granite are
i enduring, and are fitting expressions
| of the national gratitude and local
| sentiment, but they perform no prac-
i teal service for the good of human
i ity, present or future Monuments
i and tablets cannot heal the sick nor
/ shelter the suffering Rather, then,
i let US erect memorial hospital
1t viii be fitting tribute to the mem
ory of those who sleep in the lite
green ents in the fields of Flanders
and the forests of France. 1t will be
an acceptable tribute to the living
hero-the local Legion has twice en-
dorsed the proposal unanimously Il
VIII be an appropriate recognition