6^9 D4 U5 922 opy 1 IliiliiilililllH 020 914 264 8 I 639 D4 U5 922 opy 1 Congress,) HOUSE OF EEPKESENTATIVES. (Document Session. j ( No. 197. COMMISSION TO ERECT SUITABLE MEMORIALS COMMEMORATING THE SERVICES OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, TRANSMITTING CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE SECRETARY OF WAR AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CONCERNING PRO- POSED LEGISLATION TO CREATE A COMMISSION TO ERECT SUIT- ABLE MEMORIALS COMMEMORATING THE SERVICES OF THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE, AND MAKING AN INITIAL APPROPRIATION THEREFOR. March 6, 1922. — Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to h« printed' ^^U^^"] The White House, Washington, February 23, 1922. The Speaker of the House of Representatives. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of Congress correspondence from the Secretary of War and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget concerning proposed legislation to create a commission to erect suitable memorials commemorating the services of the American soldier in Europe, and making an initial appropriation therefor. The purpose of this proposed legislation and the desirability thereof are set forth in the letters of the Secretary of War and the Director of the Bureau of the Budget transmitted herewith, with whose ob- servations and comments thereon I concur. Respectfully, Warren G. Harding. y 2 SUITABLE MEMORIALS TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. Treasury Department, Bureau of the Budget, Washington, February 23, 1922. Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith for your consideration and, if it meets with your approval, for transmission to Congress a letter from the Secretary of War requesting legislation for the creation of an American battle monuments commission, to erect suitable memorials commemorating the services of the American soldier in Europe, and making an appropriation of $10,000 for the immediate purposes of the act. The purpose of this legislation is to provide for a centralized supervision over all markers and memorials erected in Europe commemorating the activities of the American military forces in order to prevent undue emphasis being placed upon certain actions or points of interest while others receive insufficient recognition, and also to insure proper architectural beauty, accuracy of detail, and the greatest amount of accurate and interesting information con- sistent with other requirements. The bill provides for a commission composed of the Secretary of War, chairman, one Senator, one Representative, the General of the Armies, the national commander of the American Legion, and one officer of the Regular Army who shall serve as secretary of said commission. It also provides that the design and material for such memorials as may be provided for shall be approved by the National Commission of Fine Arts. The need for such central supervision is indicated by the fact that American battle fields in Europe are now marked with a large number of markers showing the performance of but five or six American divisions. Most of these markers were erected by the divisions con- cerned before leaving France for the United States. They are mainly of temporary construction and with little architectural beauty. In no case on record were arrangements made for the use of the ground upon which these monuments were placed nor for the upkeep of the monuments themselves. In a few instances these markers give historical information of doubtful accuracy. Many State societies and individuals are making plans for the erection of monuments in Europe, and communications referring to these plans have reached the War Department from various sources. In one case a request for permission to contruct a monument was made direct to our embassy in Paris. In addition to the great desirability of having the battle fields in Europe properly and uniformly marked in commemoration of the activities of the American military forces during the World War, it seems necessary for a central and authoritatively recognized super- vision to assure the proper perspective in considering the real import- ance of the different activities and localities to be so marked not simply for the benefit of American tourists visiting these points but also for the information of Europeans. A tentative project for submission to this commission, if created, has been developed by the War Department, including four general classes of monuments and markers, as follows: (1) Rehef map in bronze; (2) outline sketch map in bronze; (3) special markers; (4) bronze tablets. LIBf^ARYOf^ CONGRESS MA^** 31922 \^ SUITABLE MEMORIALS TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. 3 A Should the tentative project as outHned in the War Department be ^=^ accepted by the commission herein contemphited, it would involve approximately 80 relief maps, 50 outline sketch maps, 12 special monuments, and 10 tablets, at a total estimated cost of approxi- ^ mately $540,000. > It is further estimated that this project would require about ^ $125,000 for the first two years and that the entire project could be completed within five j^ears. It is also estimated that the annual charges for upkeep and main- tenance of the entire project after completion would probably amount to less than $5,000 per year, this maintenance and care being pro- vided for in conjunction with the care of American cemeteries in the vicinity of the monuments. This project appears to be a most laudable one, and if it meets with your approval it is recommended that it be transmitted to Congress for consideration in connection with the appropriations for the War Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1923. Very respectfully, Charles G. Dawes, Director of the Bureau of the Budget. The President. War Department, Washington, Fehruary 18, 1922. The Director of the Bureau of the Budget, Washington, D. C. Sir : I have the honor to recommend the enactment of the accom- panying legislation which has been drafted with a view to providing for the proper marking of the American battle fields in Europe and the coordinating of all other questions concerning war memorials abroad. The desirability for the early passage of this legislation will, it is believed, be made clear by the following survey of the situation: The American battle fields in Europe are now marked with a large number of markers showing the performance of but five or six American divisions. Most of these markers were erected by the divisions concerned before leaving France for the United States. They are mainly of temporary construction, with little architectural beauty, having been erected in most cases with facilities available in the division. The spirit in the divisions which caused them to erect these markers is to be commended. Conditions were such, however, that in no case on record were arrangements made for the use of the ground upon which they were placed or the upkeep of the monuments themselves. In a few instances these markers give historical infor- mation of doubtful accuracy. The objections to this present condition are evident. The markers being put up without permission may become an embarrassment to the owners of the land. As a consequence of lack of care and the character of the materials used in construction, poor concrete, exposed iron, etc., they are disintegrating. Regardless of their appearance they are, however, the only markers on the battle fields and give the impression to tourists that most of our fighting was done by these divisions. This impression is an unfair one from the point of view of the other Atnerican combat divisions which fought in Europe. 4 SUITABLE MEMOEIALS TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. There is no need to emphasize the harmful effect of misleading historical information given on monuments such as these. A number of permanent monuments have been erected in France. No special criticism is made of these. It may be noted, however, that they have not always had proper supervision with respect to design and the historical accuracy of the inscriptions appearing on them. In addition to the monuments and markers already erected, many States, societies, and individuals are making plans for the erection of monuments in Europe. Communications referring to these plans have reached the War Department from various sources. In one case a request for permission to construct a monument was made direct to our emba-sy in Paris. Some States, for example, the State of Pennsylvania, have appointed a commission to study the battle fields with a view to marking the part played in the war by their State. Some of these commissions have communicated with the War Department concerning questions of procedure and cooperation. A number of the divisional societies have expressed their desire to build monuments in Europe and many have expressed the hope that the National Government will interest itself in the matter. Every- one is concerned over questions of procedure. Shall ground be purchased and the monument be put up without further ado ? Does the French Government want to approve of any phase of the pro- cedure I To what degree is the United States Government interested ? These are illustrations of the questions that are constantly being asked. We can expect more of this confusion in the future as pro- jected plans materialize. The question of the proper marking of our battle fields in Europe is a very important one. The wonderful work of our soldiers should be commemorated on the ground over which they fought. It is believed that this statement has the approval of the general public. There are many other reasons, in addition to the commemorative one, which make this marking very desirable. We would like to have our part in the W^orld War definitely understood not only by our own people but by foreigners who visit the battle fields. We would also like to have the part played by the divisions of our forces marked on the ground so that the work of each will appear in proper perspec- tive with respect to that of all others. From a utilitarian point of view the value of these markers lies in the fact that they will make easy the locating of places on the ground by American tourists. Literature describing the project will give tourists all information they need in planning a tour of the battle fields, and upon arrival at each place the markers will simplify their visit and save many hours of time. Students desiring to study our operations in detail on the ground will be greatly aided by a system of marking. From an international point of view these monuments, which will be scattered along the northeastern part of France from the North Sea to Switzer- land, will be very beneficial in tightening the bond of friendship between the United States and France. In addition to the above, the monuments, with their distinctive American characteristics, will have an inspiring effect upon our tourist similar to that of seeing an American flag flying over a ship in a foreign port. The idea that we will record by means of monuments, which will last through all ages, the services of American troops in Europe during the World War is a very fascinating one. SUITABLE MEMORIALS TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. 5 Legislation by the National Government on this question is desir- able. Many reasons for this have been brought out indirectly in the preceding paragraphs. The question concerns the entire country. It is only by national legislation that all operations will be treated in proper perspective. Without Government marking of the battle fields the credit troops get in the way of memorials will depend not upon the importance of the work they performed but rather upon the wealth of their community or organization. A well- planned project undertaken by the National Government will insure historical accuracy, coordination of details, and artistic and harmo- nious designs. Time is an important element in the passage of this legislation. Plans are being made by individuals and associations for the erection of monuments to mark events which will be completely marked by a national project, and therefore these monuments will be unnec- essary if such a project is authorized. A comprehensive system of marking will require a number of years to complete. The battle areas of France are being more or less rapidly rehabilitated, and, in the future, the obtaining of appropriate sites for monuments will be increasingly difficult and costly. The exchange rate is now in our favor. The passing of time makes more difficult the settling of minor historical points which must be settled in any battle-marking project. To illustrate, supposing it is desired to mark the place where the fo'st American soldier was killed in Europe. The records will show the man's name, the organization to which he belonged, and the general locality within which he was killed. The exact spot is not essential in military history and therefore does not appear in the records. It must be obtained by correspondence with members of the unit suffering the casualt}^. This correspondence becomes increasingly difficult as the years go by. It also becomes more diffi- cult for individuals to recollect with accuracy such historical points. The above gives a general idea of the battle monument situation, as well as reasons which indicate that prompt action leading to the marking of our battle fields in Europe is desirable. Additional remarks concerning the details of the proposed legislation are given below: Section 1, in addition to other points, provides a commission to be in charge of the w^ork. The composition of this commission was a question carefully considered. It was thought it should be small in size so as not to be unwieldy. It was also thought that the members should be representative of the country at large, holders of responsible positions, and preferably men interested in questions concerning war memorials in Europe. With these qualifications in mind the com- mission provided in the bill was finally decided upon. The Secretary of War was made a member because a large part of the preparatory work and actual construction work can be most properly handled with means available in the War Department. The Army officer, as secretary, will be thoroughly familiar with all phases of the subject and can expedite the handling of business by the commission. Section 2 gives the commission the specific duty of making plans and estimates for marking and commemorating the services of the American forces in France, Belgium, and Italy, and to erect these memorials after pikoper funds are secured. It also gives them the duty of photographing the terrain of the various battle fields. The 6 SUITABLE MEMORIALS TO THE AMERICAN SOLDIER IN EUROPE. Signal Corps photographs are incomplete in this respect and civilians have recommended to the War Department that these pictures be taken. The work naturally fits in with that of erecting battle monu- ments, and for this reason it has been included in the work of the com- mission. This photographing should be done in the near future so that the battle fields will look somewhat the same as they did during the active operations. Section 2 also provides that the National Commission of Fine Arts will be supreme in all matters of design and material. This is considered very important. Section 3 needs no comment. Section 4 was inserted so that the commission could receive funds to build memorials from other sources than the National Government. It is improbable that this section will be used, but it may be desirable. Section 5 needs no comment. Section 6 was inserted because it is expected that replicas of certain features of the monuments to be erected, such as bronze relief maps, will be desired by States or other interested parties for use on monu- ments in this country or as objects of interior ornamentation. Section 7 is for the purpose of encouraging associations and indi- viduals of the United States to build their memorials in France under the supervision of the commission, thus insuring that they will be a credit to the United States and in harmony with the entire project. It would be highly desirable to require that all monuments erected by Americans be approved by the commission but it is thought that, under the circumstances, this can not be done. Sections 8, 9, and 10 need no comment. During the last seven months a War Department board has been working on the general question of the marking of American battle fields in Europe. Tliis board, in conjunction with the National Commission of Fine Arts, has outlined a project and prepared esti- mates for the cost of the same. They have also been carrying on historical research to insure that the markings involved in their project will be correct. The work of this board is practically com- pleted and their project will be ready for submission to the com- mission provided by this bill as soon as it is created. A brief outline of the project prepared by the War Department board, with cost estimates for the same, accompanies this letter. This will give an idea concerning what is involved in a complete project for marking our battle fields in Europe. The War Department will furnish any additional information which may be desired on this legislation. Col. John McA. Palmer, Infantry, A. D. C, is designated to appear and give information to any individuals or committees who may be appointed to consider it. It is requested that action on this communication be not delayed as legislation on the same subject is being lield in committee in Con- gress waiting for the recommendation or