The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-25

Washington. d. c., Jan. 15.-Fire
in the census bureau causing 81
000. 900 loss in documents has start
I'd up the old tune. why don't We
have an archives buildingr
It is the positive belief OF every
Congressman We have talked to that
some day the United States will
have an archives building. 1t may
not be in the next few decades, but
in the course Of time-maybe you
and l will be tottering around
there is to be = place where govern
.ment records will be properly pre-
served, II there are any left to pre-
serve.
For years now congress has been
talking about this building. 1t is to
be proof against fire and water,
dust. rats and burglars sort Of
haven for documents that have
done their share in making our his
tory and pass on into the oblivion
Of the national archives.
Here, in say 1876, will be care
,; fully laid away the tattered papers
showing that we paid for the Phil
ippine islands and Alaska and the
canal zone. II they were destroyed
the United States government
might have difficulty in proving
that it did indeed settle its obi
cations in these deals. In the ar
chives building too will be the big
treaties that the United States
made. with historic signatures on
them-that is. the treaties will be
there if nothing happens to them
in the meantime. The state depart.
ment has been asking for $4,000
for years so that 1t could build 9
fireproof vault for some Of its un.
protected papers. Congress has
never fell, however. that it could
spare that much money. especially
as there is only one chance in &
good many Of fire in the state
department.
The archives building is to con.
tain many other thousands Of docu.
ments, from such important papers
as the declaration of independence
to ordinary army enlistment rec
ords and land patents. There are
tons Of these national documents
we are not speaking at all Of .stats
records. which are kept by the indi
vidual states. Nobody could pos
sibly figure exac.y how many fed
eral record papers there are SO W.
will just say. after the manner o
our best mathematical sharks, tina
there are enough So that II the!
were placed end to end and side b,
side they would carpet most Of tn,
United States. And most of thi.
mass Of deathless literature is to b.
crammed into the safe haven Of tn,
archives building.
Say All Are Valuable.
A realization Of the extent of tn
national records has caused SOM
argument as to whether unimpor
tant papers might not be safely de
stroyed. Those in favor Of reduc
ing the records by a few tons main
tain that high government official
should have the right to say tina
certain papers are worthless an,
heed not be placed in the nationa
morgue.
/ Most historians hold contrar.
view. They say that the stacks o
enlistment papers Of past wars, 70
instance, may look like so nue.
junk to the uninitiated, but to tn
student Of history they are Of grea
value. To take a very obviou
case: Suppose. years after the wa
there is a question as to whether
certain national hero served in tina
war as a boy. The Official recor
would be, his enlistment papers. an
even if 1t required long search t
locate these documents, when foun
they would be worth the trouble
Again and again just such papers
land grants. pension claims. arm
records-have supplied actual his