Evening star., 1927-05-29

post at Fort Myer. the Army War Col
lege in Washington. and other mil
itary stations at Hampton Roads.
While there have been and are now
some markers and monuments to COM
memorate individuals and few Or
ganiZations. the congressional COM
mittees found that there exists a need
for coordination in the establishment,
care and maintenance of these re-
minders of an epochal period in Amer.
lean history. 1t was feared by Con-
gress that before many more years
passed the entertainments and other
evidences of those great struggles
would be lost forever unless steps
were taken to preserve them.
Can Be Preserved Now.
"They can be preserved now" the
House committee said in it's report,
and the land for that purpose may
be gotten now at comparatively little
cost, whereas in a few years values
must increase; moreover, in 10 or Is
years the existing evidences of the
battles will be lost forever unless
taken over by the Government as a
national memorial.
These battlefields were the scenes
OF memorable struggles and heroic
sacrifices. In all. 10 generals and ap.
proXimately 1000 men were killed
in these battles. At FREDERICKSBURG
seven divisions Of Union troops fol.
lowed one after the other, at short
intervals, in one of the most heroic
and determined efforts of the whole
war. Charlottesville, about 10 miles
distant, was the scene of a campaign
which military experts all over the
world study with greatest interest,
The battle Of the Wilderness is said
by Morris Scharff, formerly an aide on
Gen. Meade's staff. to have decided the
fate Of the Confederacy, for it is said
that II Gen. Grant had been forced
|, back across the river at this point. the
result OF the war might have been
different. At Spotsylvania Court
House occurred some Of the fiercest
nghting of the war, and nearly 60 900
men, during IL hours. struggled for
the possession of small piece of
ground now known as the Bloody
Angle, comprising in all about 500
acres"
The fact that these battlefields are
close to national highway extending
from the North to the South and West
will enable hundreds OF tourists to
pause and honor the heroes whose sac4
r1fices ended in cementing the ties
that bind the States of the Union
together.
Lands Can Be Leased.
The act authorizing establishment
or this memorial park empowers the
Secretary of War to lease portions of
the land If he should deem it unneces.
sary to make the outright purchase
Immediately. He is given authority
also to make agreements with the
present owners or tenants of the land
to occupy or cultivate their holdings
on nominal terms upon condition that
they will preserve the present breast.
works, walls and other outlines of
the battlef1elds and that they will only
cut trees and remove soil under regu-
lations of the War Department.
Any State that had troops engaged
in the battles of Fredericksburg.
Spotsylvania Court House, Wilderness
or Charlottesville, including Salem
Church, is authorized by the new law
to ascertain and mark the lines
formed by its contingent. In order
to insure coordination in this under.
taking, however, the States must con.
fer with the War Department before
making permanent markings.
In view Of the failure of the de.
f1ciency bill at the last session, officials
of the War Department have not vet
formulated plan of procedure for
the laying off of the park. They will
enter upon the task. however, as soon
as Congress acts on the deficiency
bill