Payette enterprise., 1924-01-17
WILL BUILD
MEMORIAL


University of Idaho, MOSCOW
Responsibility for financing the war
memorial armory and gymnasium
| which is to be built at the university
under joint auspices of the American
Legion and the university alumni
has been placed on the shoulders Of
Paul Davis of Boise, who is depart
ment commander of the Idaho de-
partment of the American Legion.
Appointment of Mr. Davis as manag-
ing director of the statewide finan-
cial canvass has just been announced
; by George Horton, secretary of the
Idaho Memorial association, which
was formed by the American Legion
and the alumni association soon
after the August convention of the
American Legion in Coeur d'Alene.
! Plans for the canvass are already
being formulated by Mr.. Davis, who
attended the committee meeting of
, the memorial association, held in
Moscow, at which he agreed to take
over the directorship.
As Amerfcanism officer for the
Z American Legion, beginning in 1921,
Mr.. Davis accomplished results
which attracted nationwide atten-l
ton in American Legion circles. He
was secretary of the state senate in
1919 and again in 1921 and was for
three years director of the state
bureau Of licenses.
Although 1 was not a University
of Idaho student, said Mr.. Davis,
'T have always felt strong sense
Of state pride and have had a deep
interest in the university as one of
the state institutions.
THE purpose of the Idaho Me
mortal association is to erect a suit
able shrine to the memory of the
Idaho boys who sacrificed their lives
/ in the service of their country IN
the recent world war, and in former
wars.
While it will be a memorial to
the dead, however, this shrine will
serve the living and will offer them
an opportunity to protect their vel
fare for the future.
at is fitting that this memorial
should take the form of an armory
and gymnasium. Statistics of the
last war showed that 25 per cent of
those who were called to service
were found unfit for duty Physical
education and athletics would cor
rect many such physical deficiencies
In their early stages.
THE creation of this association
by the university student body and
alumni and the Idaho department OF
the American Legion should serve to
stimulate and revive Idaho's interest
in the service of those boys who
gave their all to their country in
her time of need. This memorial,
when completed. will be one of the
. AOAJ PAoNOS VI 4NoAO-
THE American Legion pays tri-
! butte in several ways to the memoir
les of those who died in the world
war. Not only does it assist in
raising funds for the constructor of
memorial buildings and statues in
many parts of the country, but
Legion posts in every community |
have participated in Memorial Day
exercises, decorated the graves of
fallen comrades at home and abroad |
and conducted military funerals for
former service men who have died |
since their return to America.
"other states are erecting me-
MORALS. For instance, the state of
Indiana will erect s5,000,000 me-
mortal building which will house
Legion national headquarters. I
Lesionnaires in the state of Wash
ington have started a campaign to
build a s5oO,00O memorial to the
Legion members who were asassinat-
ed at Centralia. /
During 1898 the American Legion
has raised 100000 as trust fund,
the interest to be used in decorating
and keeping green forever the
graves of heroes buried in foreign
lands. The work has been so or
ganized abroad that not a single
grave has or will be missed.
IAN especially fitting tribute tc
the dead is the naming Of a majority !
of Legion posts in honor of fallen
service men,