The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-01-26
War Monuments Near
 Completion In Europe
Twenty-one Memorials to Commemorate Brave Deeds
 fU. s. Troops in France, Belgium, and England

spite much opposition from French architects, contractors and work men unacquainted with American methods.
 Constant inspection by the Flu ropean office of the commission headed by Major Xenophon H. Price, has ensured a quality of | workmanship which the commits sion feels certain will stand the test of time as well as the criticism of contemporaries.
 Of the II monuments, the larg- est Is at Montfaucon. It commem- crates the Meuse- Argonne offensive in which 100000 American troops took part, the largest American op- eration of the war.
 The monument Is erected at tho | top of commanding ridge near the spot where the German crown prince had his observatory during the siege of Verdun.
 It Is q 175 foot Doric column in Italian rose granite, surmounting a majestic granite stairway. At the top of the column is an observation platform surveying the entire l lMeuse-Argonne battlefield. Over 1 the platform is g. statue of Lib- erty.
 | The terrain around the monu- ment has been little changed since the American troops took it in Septemb Der, 1916. Nearby are the ruins of houses, German dugouts and machine-gun nests. Made Concrete Foundation Formidable engineering difficult ties had to be overcome before the column could be erected. The Ger mans had thoroughly honey combed Montfaucon and an ordi- nary reinforced foundation would not have withstood the weight of 1 the monument. To meet this diff culty, tons of liquid concrete were pumped into the ground under | pressure. This ensured g. solid foundation.
 The next two largest monu- ments are erected at MOntsec, to commemorate the capture of the St Mihiel salient, in which 550,000 Americans participated; and at Chateau Thierry, to mark the &C., tivities of 300,000 doughboys un- der French command. Others have been built at Com mepy, l the Champagne region, fNghere 90,000 Americans fought un- l der French commands; Bellecourt | in the same region, where 90,00O | fought under British leaders; Vier- straat, south of Ypres, to mark the activities of an additional 44,000 under the British, and Audenarde, 1 Belgium, to commemorate the deeds of 55,000 under King Albert of Belgium.
 Memorials to the navy have been completed at Brest and Gibraltar. A fountain at Tours honors the IS. o. S."-Service of Supplies. over 650,000 Americans were in this branch of the service.
 The eight chapels are located in the American cemeteries at Ro- magne, Belleau, Suresnce, Bony. Fere- -en -Tardenois and Thiaucourt, all in France; Brookwood, Eng land, and Waereghem, Belgium.
 Chapel at Romagne
 As the largest monument is To- catcd in the MeuseArgonne re- zion where the main American force was engaged. the most inn pressivt chapel has been built at Romangne, the largest American military cemetery.
 In the cemetery 14,219 Ameri- can troops are Durleu. IHe graves, surmounted by crosses in Carrara marble are divided into eight mammoth quadrangles. Behind them rises the majestic chapel, dominating the countryside.
 The names of all those missing in the particular operation are carved on the walls inside the chapel. This has been done in all
 the chapels so that all those lost during the war will be remem-
 bered.
 The chapel at Belleau was built directly over the front-line of the
 Second Division after it had cap
 tured Belleau Wood. In addition to building the
 chapels, the Battle Monuments commission undertook the land
 scape york in the cemeteries and
 the erection of ornamental gate
 ways, walls, fiagpoles, benches and Ornamental urns.
 The commissions work will probably be completed early this summer. It Is now revising It's guide book to the American bat tlefieldg. The new book will con
 tain complete information about the me- .orials for the use of pil- grims in years to come.