The Alaska daily empire., 1922-05-30


Colonel Steese. orator of the day
spoke on the plans of the government
for looking after the graves of its
war dead He said
Again we are gathered together
upon this day sacred to the memory
of our heroic dead. Originally estab-
lished by military orders for the
purpose of decorating the graves of
the Union soldiers who gave their
lives during the Civil War it soon
became a national holiday, to be OBJ
served by North and South alike.
Since the great World War this day
has taken on an added significance
It is very fitting that we should pay
this tribute to our military and naval
heroes who have sacrificed them
selves that we may live in peace and
security 1t is especially fitting that
we should teach the rising genera
ton 10 revere the names of those
who have written their names large
in the history of our country, to
study their lives, to be familiar with
their accomplishments, and to emu
late their examples
Upon this day last year | told
You something of the operations OF
our army overseas which resulted
in final victory for ourselves and
our Allies. | also read you extracts
from my journal showing the steps
already taken by the military authori-
ties, even before the Armistice, to
do CD n p11nnC
soldier dead overseas, and gave an
account of my visit soon after the
Armistice to the principal American
cemeteries in France. Today I shall
relate further chapter in the
progress of this work.
Those of you who have visited
Gettysburg, Antietam, or any of the
more famous battlefelds in the
United States, will remember with
pleasure the beautiful parks which
the United States has created which
have been the goals OF patriotic pill
gT-images for many years. You will
also remember with regret the hodge
podge of monuments and markers
scattered around without any uni
formity of treatment or consistency
of plan.
No Central Plan
AT Gettysburg, the high-water
mark of the Rebellion. and the most
elaborate of our battlefield parks,
there are about so miles of beautiful
boulevards, many hundreds of monu-
ments, and markers and observation
towers from which the operations
may be reconstructed But the monu-
ments have been provided by pri-
waite sources, and the handsomest
monuments indicate the richest regi-
ments or States, rather than the
troops which figured most import,
antly in the battle. 1t was not until
1912 that the United States erected
any monument at all to the many reg
iments of the regular army which
so distinguished themselves in that
battle. Some New York and Penn
sylvania regiments have ornate monu-
ments to mark every position they
occupied during the three days fight
ing whereas other regiments with
equally distinguished records can
hardly be identified.
mo Confederate monuments ap-
pear upon the battlefield at all. ex-
cept the beautiful equestrian statue
ct General Lee. erected by the state
of Virginia only a few years ago,
and a small monument away off in
the woods to one Confederate regi-
ment from the state of Maryland.
1t was probably erected by mistake
for a Union regiment because Mary
land never seeded though her citi-
7ens divided and fought on both
sides.
'In fact, study of the marked
hattlefields of the Civil War gives
results mainly of a negative char
scter in indicating rather what ought
not to be done. The same thing
threatened to happen overseas. Be-
fore they left, several regiments.
divisions and corps, scattered impro-
vised monuments around over the
sectors occupied by them in France.
Some of these monuments are very
dignified and appropriate, others are
too horrible to contemplate. The
sense of fitness or lack of it of the
individual officer who hurriedly did
the work seems to have been the
only controlling factor.
Board Is Created
Fortunately, the situation was
taken in hand in time. A Battle
Monuments Board was created by
the War Department. AS a result
OF it's study of the situation. its
recommendations have been accept
cd by the President and he has
recommended to Congress the Gre
alton of commission to be provid-
ed with sufficient funds to do the
work properly in accordance with the
plans already drawn up. This COM
mission will consist of the Secretary
of War. Senator, a member OF the
House OF Representatives the Gen
Grads of the armies. the National
Commander OF the American Legion,
and officer of the regular army, to
act as secretary, and probably the
Courmander-ia-chief of the Veterans