New Britain herald., 1924-05-31
TWO COMMUNICATIONS


 Of unusual interest are two com
 municatons published on this page
 in Thursdays issue of the Herald,
 one being reprinted from the Worces-
 ter Telegram. The tone in which
 they were written is moderate and
 they are of a character to bring re-
 spectful comment, rather than di-
 dactic argument.
 Mir. Steele apparently labors under
 the impression that he believes "a
 monument to the dead can have no reference to the needs of the living
 except in reminding them of the vir- tues of those who have died" Upon this misconception of OUT attitude he built perfectly correct statement of the fact that many memorials are, in fact. beneficial and of value to the living aside from their aspect of true memorials, but Mir. steele's ilustra- tion regarding the event when Mary poured the costly spikenard" on Jesus head is wide Of the mark and, in fact, sustains tho opposite attitude. Those about her reproved Mary for ESQ much waste" which might have been given to the poor. Jesus reproved those who had criticized her, thus in- directly approving her action. by re- minding them that the poor were all ways with them; he. not always Thus, we might add, the living we have al- ways with us to do for, to aid. The dead have passed beyond our human ken.
 The true test Of whether or not structure, park, A building is strictly a memorial. is the question Of what was the inspiration for it's erection. Why was it built; what is its purpose. Mir. Steele cites the inscription on St. Pan's cathedral. London, which, he says, is "a memorial to the architect because of that inscription: "1f you would see my monument look around you" Words, or the placing Of an in- scription or name on any structure, does not make II true memorial. St. Psul's cathedral was not built because its architect died, nor because St. Paul, the worthy. lived and died. The building vas erected because Of the desire to have fitting building in which 10 worship. II is in a sense, a memorial 10 Jesus Christ, if He be deemed dcrine; memorial 10 belief in Him, the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. Who darcs to charscterize that great sacred structure as memorial ! to an architect?
 So our schools and colleges are noi . strictly memorials. The reason. inc inspiration for building them, was to have hitting places in which to edu- cate young men and women, boys and girls. The Nathan Hale school was not built because that great man. Nathan Hale. died. ft was built be- rsuse ve nccdzd school. The giving of Nathan Hale's name to it does moi make u q memorial in tho true sense ef the word any more than woolscy Hall at Ysls is true memorial. lu- sisiing that deed is right" does moi make it right. if, in fact. n iz wrong. Calling s monument 10 our dead q stone pile" does nod make it stone pile q it is. iu fact. a beautiful m0uu- ment 10 yerprtuste The memory Of men who fought and died.
 We have no intention Of dcclafing Chat on some occasions better disposl- ton may be made Of city fUHds ihar building a tr1ie memorial such as thai proposed for Walnut Hin Park. Nor have ue any desire 10 insist that This proposed memorial ourht to bo bniIt. sfh0uah personally. we favor thsz Idea So urh regard f0 thc personal reference Co the founder and editor of the Herald !, is quite possible thst hs believed a building at that time would b.t;sr memorabilia. the 8ea5 of Inc Civil zsr. since tHs public build irE Ht altorsisd would bs 0f the birbezf moral. spiritual and in- ,sUacfusi value to ths Htirg. rsth'r than building d.i.I aitH elnb rooms , which would soon t.ec5ms far from Y, imp ssita 0f atInospbrre. Our oHIy suggestion Vas that ths I recent meeting of tHs efjy meeting . beard vas held 10 consider plans Of . ihs memorial committee: Ina; ths <. memorial committee had presented ' plans For true memorial. and that | he discussion went far adei1 and q 'oBEht 10 subordinate The memorial q ses fn favor of doing somsfisHs For q .he frinr. The naoruHsent raBfI iia q suli because our taln diad on ths q