New Britain Herald Newspaper, June 27, 1927, Page 4

New Britain Dedicates Memorial to Men Who Offered Lives in SnishAmericah War Shaft at Willow Brook Park Formally Accepted| By Mayor Weld in Behalf of City at Patriotic Roosevelt’s Plea For Preparedness. | After 29 years New Britain Satur- |names day dedicated with impressive serv- |an envelope Ices & memerial to the veterans of number. the Spanish-American war. With| *“The committee believes that the perfect weather, but with a slight ' memorial is unique in its design and breeze fanning the trees in Willow |that it is different from any other of the architects enclosed in with corresponding Brook park, just enough to keep the ! dozen or more flags waving as though in pride of the exercises, thousands of New Britainites gath- «<red in Memorial field to do honor to the veterans of 1898. The act of unveiling the memorial was performed by Mrs. Sarah H. Magson, widow of Samuel Magson, who was the first commander of A. G. Hammond camp, United Spanish American War Veterans. Although it seems but yesterday since the bugles blew at the state armory and the volunteers from New Britain shouldered their knapsacks and marched out to help free the op- | pressed people of Cuba, the years l:ave left their traces on the surviv- ing veterans. Those who marched back Saturday bravely and en-! thusisatically to the music of fife .4and drum corps showed gray hairs und in many cases stopped shoulders | 2nd lagging feet. Tn some cases it was hard to distinguish between the vet- arans of the war with Spain and these sturdy warriors of still another generatiem, the survivors of the G. AR i Alongside of theee, the American Legion boys seemed like mere in- fants, and in truth many of them were mere infants, some yet unborn when the world was startled by the blowing up of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor, while those who fought at Gettyshurg for the preser- vation of the Union proudly display- =d the brenze buttons of the G. A, RB. as they too paid tribute to comn- rades of another period. Parade Best In Years The parade was one of the larg- | ‘ést, most colorful and best New Brit- ain has seen for some years. ‘The parade started promptly at | 2:30 o'clock with Col. W. W. Bullen as marshal and Capt. Alfred H. Gris- | wald as chief of staff. It was com- d of the local military compan- . ies, men who saw service in the army and navy during the world war, ineluding many methbers of Eddy- | Glover post, American Legion, the | Mystic Shrine, the Arab Patrol of the ! Shrine, Boy Scouts, members of the | police department and members of ' e @ye department. There were ssveral bands and drum corps. Word ‘was received earlief in the day that the Putnam Phalanx could not par- tcipate. | Those In the reviewing stand at, gty hall as the parade passed includ- ' ed: Lieutenant-Governor and Mrs. J. Edwin Brainard, Mayer and Mrs @ardner C. Weld, State Department Commander and Mrs. Kenneth F. Cramer, Rev. J. Leo Sullivan of North Haven, East Department Com- mander Charles W. Newton of Hart- ford, State Finance Commissioner | Edward F. Hall, Jke T. Hills, gener- 4l chairman of A. G. Hammond camp, U. 8. W. V., Past Department | Commander Theodore Johnson, A. | W. Piper and Joe Van Rosencrance of Jersey City, N. J., state depart- ment commander of the Spanish War Veterans in that state. The program and addresses at Me- morial field were in charge of Attor- mey Charles H. Mitchell, who was a \PIU¢ and khaki—their lives dedici sergeant of the 71st New York Vol- unteer infantry, which participated in the charge of San Juan hill. In opening the exercises, Mr. Mitchell explained the significance of the menument and said it stood for a vis®n of American ideals which turned the democracy of America against the absolute monarchy of Spain. | War to Free Oppressed People Alderman W. H. Judd, chairman of the committee of the common council under whose guidance the memorial was erected. told of New Britain's part in the memorial. He * On the 25th of April, 189S, an im- portant event in the world's history and In the history of the, United States occurred, the declaration of war between Spain and the United States. ‘Today we are gathered to dedi- cate a memorial to the soldiers and | sailors who fought in that short but very impordant war, It has been a great privilege to me to have bheen the chairman of the committee in charge of the erection of this me- morial. My only regret is that the veterans of the Spanish-American war should have been comp 10 wait over 29 vears Lefore a suitable memorial was erected by the city of New Britain. stand neath a memorial Spanish war memorial in the coun- try. Let me correct what appears to be the prevailing opinion—that the bridge was an afterthought te the memorial. The bridge is a part of the memorial and was so consid- ered at the start. When the various architects were requested to submit their designs for a memorial, all were requested to include the bridge, and in conmection with that, a suit- +able memorial. “The monument, although in the form of a lighthouse, is still design- jed as a monument, and the commit- tee selected this type of memorial because under the shadows of the Morro Castle light, the Majne was sunk, an act which aroused the whole country and caused the dec- laration of war by congress. “We believe the bridge built in connection with the memorial will be used by thousands of people and as they cross the bridge they will be reminded of the days of '98, and of the valor and the patriotism of the boys who velunteered to -help an oppressed people. As the years go by and a new generation comes, as they croes this bridge and are re- minded of the days of '98, they will ask why the Spanish-American war was fought. How better can it be answered than by reading the bronze tablet on the memorial— MEMORIAM' " Not a war for conquest, or for military glory, but a righte- ous war fought by American volunteers to succor the weak and oppressed against fqreign tyranny, and to give to Cuba and the Philippines a place among the free peoples of the cart Mayor Weld, who accepted the monument on behalf of was the second speaker. Ho called attention to the stirring scencs of 1893 and paid tribute to the hoys who volunteered in their country's | service. Mayor Weld's Address Mayor Weld spoke as follows:, “Twenty-nine years ago the Unit- ed States—the whele world in fact, was electrified by the happenings in Cuba. The American battleship Maine had been exploded in Ha- vana harbor—war was declared upon Spain and President McKinley had issued a call for volunteers. “The sons of New Britain (at that time but a small town of some 23,- 000 people) hastened to the enlist- ment offices in response to the call —answering as they have ever done and will always do when the henor | of their country is assailed. Some ©of our boys joined the regular army, some the navy and many en- iisted in the volunteer military com- panles whose ranks were quickly filled. “The orders came to entrain, and our unit—Companies D, E and I. with that stirring battle cry, ‘Re menber the Maine' ringing in their cars and hearts, left New Britain amid the cheers of her patriotic citizens, and’ amid the tears of wives, sweethearts and families. They were our own stalwart sons in ‘ed to their country—ready sacritic, ready to die if need be, to sustain the honor, the liberty and the principles of the nation. “All through the toilsome days of drill and fatigue in the Southern camps—through the ravages of fever and illness—poorly prepared, badly equipred, they were ready for the summonz to action which never came, It was their duty to be con- tent to lve that quotation ‘They also serve who only stand and wait. And 1t is fitting that we pause to re- member that many of cur boys in the regular army and navy saw ac- tion during those strenuous days, as our cemeteries bear silent evi- dance to their sacrifices. War over. our boys of '0S' re- turned to their homes; faithful and alert in peace as in war, they carved for themselves lives of con- tinued service and honor. Their in- terest in the civie, the political and the business life of our city has tever waned, and among the roster of our Spanish American war licroes we find many men of proni- inence in our city. “Thronghout the vears of peacc they have waited ,and worked pa- ntly for the day that has come st—the day that they might to their for any “In my mind, too little is said and comrades wio never returned thought of the importance of the Spanish war, as it is on f standing wars of t} orld. F by volunteers, & war, not of conquest or of gain, but to fres an oppressed people from bondage and a tyran- nical government; a war that did much to cement relations hetween the north and the south, And, as always, we were geeking peace, jus tice, and liberty for all. A war that to my mind, marked the beginning of a period which was to make the United States the world's greatest ind most powerful nation. “My part in this prog he report of the committ -harge of building the memorial. The wiemorial is almost a New Britain product. The architects are D. K. Perry an rl Bishop of New Rrit- un; the general contractor, William H. Allen Co., of New Britain: the sculptors for the bronze work are, Professor Eherhard of Yal ro- fessor Martino of The total cost, includ y on the bridge and planning and grading is about $21,000 and the memorial is buiflt within the appropriation allow- ed by the common council. “The memorial was selected after careful consideration @s heing the Dbest among the several designs sub- mitted by architects, and was the unanimous choice of the committee. *The committee did not know it as selecting a memorial drawn bdy | jew Britain architects the choice was made 3 v have served, waited and membersd so also has the muniei- of New Rritain remembere citizens never forgotten will they ever forget, the valor, heroism of her almost 30 long of waiting, funds were pro- ercetion of this hean- I memorial, and today the citi- zens of New Britain stand shoulder to shoulder with the veterans of fsh-American War to dedi- this monument of honor, a a of the Morro Casile that so of our brave hoys helped to win from the ememy—beautifully placed at the entrance of our fair city—sultably inscribed with the im- portant events of that war, and with the honor roll of veterans. “As mayer of the City of New Britain, and in hehalf of her zens it is my privilege to a 1 from 1} . and T pledg perpetuntion av rves. | ds and ch this memorial commeamorntes shall in the archives of our h her h: nor e rep many for them the ear which pl over be safe rts jean War. with vou wa fake pride in this glorious memarial. Wa of New Britain salute vou—we honor you and vour comrades. “An American is an American no nntil after matter where he may be or what his The designs | creed.” said Frank P. | wore submitted by number and the department comm-nd=: ntan, past { the U. 8 -Amers | —Photo by Johnson & Petersom Mrs. Sarah H. Magson Unveiling Memorial | | | | | | |~ Mayor Weld and Lieut. Gov. the city, | {W. V., who made an appeal for the elimination of class and creed dis- crimination. Brainard Hits at Pacifists Pacifists were handled somewhat iroughly by Lieutenant Governor J. | Edwin Brainard, who spoke as fol- 1o Twenty-nine vears ago the spirit of America rose, and wrote boldly !across the pages of history the | definition of Americanism, showing |by deeds, not words, that principles and ideals are. not to us at least, meaningless phrases, 29 vears ago the men of '9S demonstrated in no uncertain manner that where ‘Old | Glory' led, there were red blooded | Americans determined to carry on | to the end. “Lest we forget it might he w %o bricfly define Americanism. Amer- icanism is an unfailing love of coun- try, loyalty to its institutions and ideals; eagerness to defend it against all enemies: undivided allegiance to ithe flag: and a desire to secure the | blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity. This my friends should be the crecd of every”citizen of this country of ours and any person en- |joying the blessings and privileges jof this country who does not sus- cribe, - should be returncd to those | countries whose ideal they seem to | prefer to ours. My friends we are " | dediggting here today a memorial to t hose heroes who at their country’s call exemplified to the world the true {meaning of Americanism, for they demonstrated to the world at large that we of America have ideals that |we are prepared to live up to. It { demonstrated to the world, that w {of American give an undivided al- |legiance to the flag, and are eager {to defend it against all cnemies. | “This memorial while dedicated to |the Spanish war heroes, has a much broader significance and will stand here as a memento, not alone to the heroes of '8, but as the greatest examplification of Americanism, and vatriotism, that the world ever seen. Most wars have insignificant | begtnnings. It may have been a woman's smile, a barren picce of land, or a hattle for supremacy. We of America have had six major wars, ‘three of them battles for cxistence, three of them for ideals and the brotherhood of man, but of all these wars, that of '98 was the greatest, not that it was the most deva: /but for its far reaching that these men came forward {their country’s call for the cause of humanity, prepared if necessary to make the supreme sacrifice, that their fellowmen should cujoy the same measure of frecdom they them- selves enjoyed. Many of us remem- ber the unrest and discussion rels tive to the oppression and the cruel- ty of the bloody Weyler, the mental ttitude of the nation that required only ths incident of the Maine to the country wild. Few of, vou know the courage required to cary on at this time, with some of the foreign nations combining to coerce our country inst interference in the affuirs of Spain. But the spirit of these men prevailed, and the stories of Santi nd San Juan, will be as imperishable in the mine of future generations as those of Thermopylac | *Manila Oregon will for future zood and ind the e in song generations to what manner of men these who for an ideal, would lay Ii foriune on the a | to the end that Ames ognized liberty's champion. My friends it is a wonderiul thing to be a part of this, 1o pay Ship wonder were, ot such s his- hat onx bled - our op- lid part in the glo of our count many of heroes we own kin, that they fought and for those ideals that have n country wh it the land of of the op- vail is it to n of 8%, to retail their to of 1. Dut of what pay tribute to these m recount their sacrifices, sufferinge. or extol their bravery, if the-lesson of this ceremony to end with the going down of the sun Preparcdness Safeguard Azainst War | “Memorials such as this have a is ’ ~Photo by Johnson & Peterson Brainard Reviewing Parade far greater purpose than that, and 1 am sure that these men would not | have it otherwise, else they have “tought in vain. For unless this memorial has an influence on our youth, unless every survivor of this war uses his utmost endeavor to in- terest our children in his personal activity in this great event to the end that the coming generation may in some measure realize the noble heritage that has been handed down to them from their forefathers since 1775, when the immortal 56 signed the Declaration of Indepen- dence, the principles enunciated then, are the principles now, and will be, so long as we sce to it tha love of country, and veneration for .he flag is kept as a holy thing in the minds of our growing vouth. There should be no fear for our pa- triotism now. we are too ncar the end of the great war, but what of | the future, if our youth are allowes to fall under the spell of the sidious pacifist, who would d, the words war and preparcdness from our dictionary, and who talk disarmament. and world peace. At this moment there are any number of wars going on, and so long as there are men, and nations, dis- posed to conquest. and personal gain, just so long will there be war. The Great Roosevelt once raid that the greatest safeguard against war was preparedness, and a truer word was never spoken, The United States, recognized as the most peaceful of nations, has indulged in ix major. and innumerable small vars during the last 142 years With this record and the fact that cach war has been a_ repetition of the last. a mad rushing in, a glori- ous victory, but at what a cost, for we have apparently gained nothing in the way of expericnce, apparent- Iy satisfled to trust to the spirit of America, as excmplified by such men as those of '3S to keep our country safe. Dut is it fair to ask the flower of our youth to sacrifice themeelves on the of igno- rance, for the re that some in- n Deople are opposed fo preparedness, vhen we have the figures to show that in the Spanish war. America lost more men in the camps, before and after the actual fighting than were Killed in Cuba during the war, This has been America’s record in all her struggles. ‘So 1 say to you that this memo- rial means much more than a simple memento to the Spanish war sol- liers, it is a tribute to the spirit of America, and an appeal to the sur- ivors of that war. that they endeavor to keep alive that pirit in the learts of our youth. and Kindle the fire of patriot- ism in the sts of our people, to the end that. as the immortal Lin- coln said. we may continue to he a zovernment of the people, for the ¢ the people, and that perish from off the face of the earth. The re not light words, but words of much sig- nificance, for we are at a phase of our national cxistence now that calls for the most careful consideration. There seems to be a disregard for all things scrions, and a tendeney to tread along the primrose path of pleasire that so soon lv to de- struction. Our conntry has hecome great solely through effort. History tells us that all the great nations of - past have fallen into decay en- through lack of effort. When the Romans forsook eir forum Mr the pleasurcs of the chase the end was not far, and so my friends when we lose our love for the flag and neglect our ideals we are ap- proaching danzerous ground. So say to vou n. do not read the face of this memorial and go away satisfied. hut study the and visualize what it stand$ for, what it represents. and why these men of ‘28 are gathered here today. 1f you do this you will have a vision of the same ideals that these men of '35 saw when fthey went forth te hattle for God, for eountry and for’ Fellow Man. And finally vou will understand that this memo- rial is not for an svent but for an | idesl.” nse ds reverse side, o by Johnson & Petersom Parade Entering Memorial Fiela,_vl\,’fiow Breok Park —Photo by Johnson Photo Service Spanish-American War Veterans Stepping Along Veterans of All Wars “Buddies” not be aware of it, this old’ fortress Considerable histerical informa- is inextricably linked up with the tion was given by Kenneth F. Cram- | history of Connecticut, at a time er, department. commander of the when France and England were at American Legion, In the following grips over hegemony in America. In | address: | the last of the so-called French and “With the exception of the ties of ' [ndian wars, Spain, in conformity |family one of the closest of human with the Family Compact, declared ties is that of comradeship, of & war on England. As & result Eng- comradeship begun in the training|jand sent a combined land and naval !camps, strengthened in the 10ng | force against Havana. Among Lord {marches shoulder to shoulder, and | glbermale's forces -was a brigade of consummated on many a hard gmerican volunteers commanded by fought field. To have submitted to |y . T [ 7 the same discipline, shared the same MaJor General Phineas Lyman o tent, eaten the same 1ood, llughedic""“(‘c““"t' consisting of 400 men at the same amusing incldents of from New York, 500 from New Jer- | {sey and 1000 from Connecticut. This |Iatter contingent was the First Reg- |iment, the predecessor of the First Connecticut in which so muny of you have served ,and of the 169th Infan- try of today. Less the 'Tenth com- pany, which was detached, this reg- iment was commanded by Licuten- World War so close together, t Colonel Isracl Putnam. Morro “And while these ties are strong-Castle was besieged, the attackers est and rightly so among the veler- | secured possession of a covered way, ans of any one war, there is also a made a lodgment before the right bond among the veterans of all wars, | bastion, sprang a mine and on July the bond of service to a common 30, 1762, successfully assaulted the country in her hour of need. ;muatters little whether one fought | of Havana two week later. This ex- with the muzzle-loading musket on | peditionary force returned to New army life, grieved over the same sor- (rows, feared the same fears, and finally triumphed in the same cause, ates a bond of union that can never be broken. It is these com- mon experiences that have brought tthe men of the Civil War, of the Spanish-American War and of the | the fleld of Antietam or cncountered | London in October of the same yoar, | grape and canister and solid shot at | having suffered 400 deaths in battle Gettysburg with Meade or Lee, Or |lanq from disease. Thus, th.rough the charged at San Juan Hill with !eqnlrfi\uung valor of Connecticu the black-powdered Springfield, Or | jjen, was the Spanish flag run down fought at St. Mihiel and in the|or the first time from over Morro Argonne against achine guns, y)| one hundred years before the | polson gas and long range cannon— | Soanigh American War, i : dith f service | I:?ahr‘il:d x:::xbch % ‘Was all done for u| “This grim fortress witnessed the s {awful tragedy of the Maine on Feb. common country, these United States | 15 1595, Ordered to Havana on & o America And so, as a result of | ericngyy yig this common service there exists | (jon'this proud vessel was destroyed among all veterans a feeling of 1ove [ ity g Joss of two ofiicers, 264 men and affection, of admiration and re- | yilled and 60 wounded. For {welvs spect. And so, this day s a happy | vears, until 1910, Morro looked out day for us, the veterans of thelgieripo bay upon the tragic re World War—for we are thus cnabled | v S0 POk Sone A2 RS e to soe honor done and ourselves 40 ' yingcul people caused her fo be honor to our fellow comrades, the . rais.g carried out to sea and sunk. fighting men of another generation, | 14 Ju.n today, Morro looks down the veterans of the .\y:nnxs‘l:.\nmr- {upon the hvoy which marks the fean War—honor so Justly their due. | ;5] rosting place of so many brave “The greatest satistaction that any | i T30 veteran can have i the satisfaction | TS EERR o ruct! e Maine e responded. o her | 10 the consequent findings af the call and did well his duty and that | Paval board if inquiry were not the tion s been yours, my com- Cause of the Spanish-American war, rades, since the days of 1898, And | Put rather the incident that brought yet, you were no more than human jf | that war to an immediate issue. For { you did not view this monument to- | almost half a century the American | Gay with a feeling of enhaneed satis- | PeoPle had watched with growing faction for thus has the citizcns of | APPrehension the effects of a mis- New Britain manifested their appre uided colonial policy in Cuba until ciation for the services which you, |in @ last desperate effort to quelch {heir fellow townsmen, have render- | (I revolt.-the Spanish had resorted ed. And this monument will ever | t0 @ heartless policy of establishing Serve us 4 reminder of and an inspir- | CONCentration camps, like prison ation 1o the future generation to|P°N% into which were gathered men emulate your heroic deeds. | women and children indiscriminate- “Nothing could be more appropri- | \¥+ Without shelter from the ele- ate than this replica of Morro Ca ments, and with little or no food. Conditions in Cuba were well de or ‘El Castillo los Santos Rey 1o 2y (the castle of the sacred kings), | °ribed by Senator Proctor ®f Ver- 'the Spaniards called it, standing as it did at the entrance of the harbor of Havana, the last principal Span. {ish city in the west. During the lat ter years of the sixteenth century, neis Drake, halt patriot and »o0t:r, that scourge of | Bpain, was cruising in American wa- | ters, Hy had taken Cartagena and | late in May, 1385, appeared off Ha. vana. Whether the defense prepara tions impressed him with their | strength, or whether, as has been said, his forces had been depleted with scurvy and yellow feves, or whethier he hesitated to risk the cap- tives and the plunder already secur- ed, in any event he sailed awa threatening to retirn in due eou and take the city. Phillip 1L, then | monarch of Spain, alarmed at this| in 1588, commissioned Juan Atonelli, an Italian en- to construct a harbor de- that would withstand any pir- attack. The fortross as com- pleted in 1597 was almost a facsimile of that curions little castillated fort- ress erected at Lishon, Portugal. in 1140 by the Moorish coaquerors to b M T B Behalf of en. guard the mouth of the Tangus gangareq Amerlcan interests, which Tirac. | Bive us the Mght and duty to speak Conn. Mgp at Havana in 1762. and to act the war in Cuba must | “And although many of you May|stop’ And not long atter interven- tle | o chamber. ‘It 1s not peac nor is it war; 1t is desolation and ss, misery and starvation.’ L has never entered into war lightly without strong provocation but our intervention in Cuba Wi particularly actuated by the high- est motives of altruism. President Cleveland fn his annual message of 896 spoke on ‘an higher obligation, which we ean hardly hesitate to recognize and discharge.” President McKinley in his annual message of the following year Teferred fo ‘our obligation to ourselves, to civiliza- tion, and to humanity, to intervene with force’ and promised that if fn- tervention came it would ‘be with- out fault on our part and only be- cause the necessity for such action will be so clear as to command and support the approval of the eivilized world’. America attempted to have the Cuban sitnation arbitrated bur without success and finally the force of circumstances and the pressure of publle opirion caused the presi- dent to issue his war message saying ‘In the name of humanity, in the threat, was a.huu’ne finance, introduced 2 measure of in behalf of a n boring oppress- | self-government and the end is not ed people in ord to free them |yet, some day they may get political- from ol4 werld tyranny. ly free. 128,000 Waated, 756,000 Respond. | It was the Spanish-American war “Once again patriotism ‘flamed t0 | which led to development which in a white heat throughout America. tne long run we could not in any Three quarters of & million men of- | event have escaped. The barriers of fered their gervice at the first call {national isolation were broken down for 135,000 volunteers. High en- |a.ng the shells of Dewey's guns deavor—in & few days ocame the | jjarced the curtain of world politics news of Dewey's victory at Manila | 4ng revealed America standing ma< Where he salled into the harbor and | jestically In equity and good cons under the very guns of the land for- { ojonce at the council board of the tifications defeated the Spanish |, .¢ions, fleet—came the news of Hobson's “After the herole attempt to bottle Cervera's tion came. Am Spanish war, went It fortress which forced the surrender ! it to another friendly na- | mont when he said is a speech in | fleet in Bantiago by sinking the col- | lier Merrimac across the entrance to the harbor. Soon Shafter was land- ing Daiquiri and Siboney. Then the skirmish at Las Quasimas where the Spanish complained that the Amer- cans did not fight under the rules of civilized warfare, but, like savages charged on without fear of death, when they should have retreated. Then El Caney and the charge up San Juan Hill. It at S8an Juan at the “Bleddy Bend" that the third brisade had four different com- manders in eleven minutes the other three all being casualties, it was here in two days fighting on the 1at and 2nd of July that we lost 12 officers and 260 men killed with 1,300 wounded. Then came the destruc- tion of Cervera's entire fleet as it attempted to flee. In a few days the fall of Santiago. The picture changes to Porto ‘Rico where the armistice cut short a successful ex- pedition. Again the picture changes to tha Phillippines, the opening scene—the night attack near Manila on Feb. 4, 1899 followed by a series of battles degenerating as time goes on into the most difficult type of guerrilla warfare until finally Fun- ston’s dramatic capture of Aguinal- do breaks the back of the insurrec- tion. -Soon thereafter the insurrec- tion comes to an end. Thus is con- cluded & war which some {1l inform- ed people have termed a minor war, a war which had called 450,000 men to the colors with.a resultant loss from battle and disease of 60,000 lives. “The United States as a result, was projected into a position of world power with possessions en both oceags, the far Phillipines and Guam in the Pacifie, with Porfo Rico and Cuba, in the Atlantic. At the outset of the war the United States had disclaimed any disposi- tion or intention to exercise sover- eignty, jurisdiction or control over Cuba, except for the pacification thereof, and asserted its determina- tion, when that was accomplished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people. Few na- {tions would have respected such a promise. Scarce any would have {blamed the United States if she ‘had retained possession of Cuba. | Not so! To the confusion of those | {critics who have accused us of im- | | perialtam and a desire for conquest, | after a brief period of Americgn | administration our troops were re- called, the American flag ran down {and over Morro Castle flew and still | i flles the flag of ‘Cuba Libre'—a sil- ibnt testimonial to the disinterested i motives of the American people and the valor of her soldiers and | sailors.” Dedication Address. | The final address of the afternoon except the presentation address by | Past Department Commander Theo- | dore Johnsor, was tke following dedication address by Willlam Jones 'of New York, past commander in {chief of the U. S. W. V. | “We are amembled to dedicate ithis beautiful monument, the gift of ‘the people of the city of New Brit- ain to honor those of her citizens !who served their country during the | Spanish-American war, On behalf ‘c! my comrades of the national or- { ganization, whom I have the honor ito represent on this occasion, I con- gratulate the comrades of A. G. Hammond camp, the citizens' com- mittee and the people of this city ‘wpon the completion of this beauti- 'ful memorial which will always serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the men of the Spanish war and will teach the youth of your fair city to honor and respect the men iwhe were the first to prove to the fworld that America loves liberty, not selfishly for herself, but loves liberty for liberty's own sake and for the blessings that liberty saw confer upon all who are able to enjoy her jhf‘l\t‘dlrflon and discharged her re- sponsibilities. “It is particularly fitting that a !monument of this type should have "been selected, for as you must know ' Morro Castle is closely connected I\with the events leading up to the declaration of war with Spain. His- tory tells us that it was the suffer- {ing of those Cuban patriots who were ‘confined to its lower regions and |horrible dungeons which influenced to a great extent the report of the committee which was appointed by congress to study conditions in Cuba. “The Spanish-American war was fought for men, women and little children who could make no claim upon us except the claim of neigh- bors in distress, of a common hu- manity and of a universal brother- 1hood. It is a very shallow view which maintains that the destruc- tion of the battleship Maine and the spirit of revenge prompted the war with Spain. It was more than two months after the destruction of the Maine that war was declared. The 1 most that fhe sinking of that battle- ship accomplished was the accelera- tion of the gigantic forces of sym- pathy and indignation which were already gathering and sweeping re- sistlessly across the country. There never was a more unselfish war wag- led in the history of the world. It fwas a war for the freedom of the weak who were entirely outside the gale of our national life. It was a war for humanity without taint of aggression and without touch of | wrong. The Spanish-American war was a manifestation of power. It was also a manifestation of nobility, {of generosity and of humanity. Of generosity—we exacted no indem- forth the ehalfenge of America. to the world that America is altruistic, that AmeFca {is idealistic, that America is unselfish; that while at home she is engaged in many en- terprises, while she is advancing with gignt strides in every kind of industry and work, while she rivals other nations in the getting ot money and in the building up of all hdr material interests, still back of all her endeavors and achievements, back of her enterprising and pro« gressive spirit, underneath - it . all, deep in the hearts of her people there is somgthing better, something holier, something more sacred than these material interests of life, and this is the advocacy of the rights of men, respect for whatever man en- Jjoys from God, reverence for the dignity God has bestowed upon his children and which she wishes to be enjoyed not owly in her own land, but wherever God's’ chiidren are throughout the length and breadth of the world. “To the army and navy to which the men belonged, whose name ap- pears on this monument, the nation 13 indebted for one of most brilliant chapters of American history, for it | was the Spanish-American War that reunited the North and the South and destroyed the last vestige of sectionalism in this country an ac. ocomplishment for which every American patriot will forever re- jolce. During that war 'the son of Johnny Reb and Yankee Doodle locked arms in comradeship, broke bread at the same mess, stood grim- 1y shoulder to shoulder in the samae enbattled trench. Under hostile fire on foreign soil; fighting in a common cause, the memory of old disagree- ments faded into history. From the camp and campaign there came the magic healing which closed -old wounds and effected their scars. As the result of this, the government proved itself invincible in the Span- ish-American War and.out of . it came a nation that will remain in- vincible forever. “I do not propose to burdem you with a recital of our histeric mili- lary unpreparedness prior to the Spanish-American War but T believe that T can point with pardonable pride to the fact that the men whose names appear on this monument did not hesitate to volunteer their serve ice to their country. Within a few weeks after the declaration of war these men were recruited. clothed, drilled and transported-to the front, ready to take their places besidesthe brave and efficient regulars, ready to march in jungle trail, ready to suffer from tropic heat and rain and ire regular rations, ready to charge, ready to fight, ready to die at their country's call for the treedom and protection of races 5o backward and child-like that they might not even be.able to appreciate their sacrifice. “These men were not born or bred to soldier life. Their country's sum- mons called them from the play, the forge, the bench, the loom, the mine, the store, the office, the sanctuary. They did not fight for greed or gold, to find adventurs or to win renown. They loved the peace of quiet ways and yet they broke the clash of clinging arms, turned away from the witching glances of tender eyes, left goodby kisses upon tiny lips to sub- ject themaelves to hardships and privations in strange climates and in unaccustomed surroundings with the prospect of meeting death M its most hideous form. Never before was the moral and physical fibre of our citizenship subjected te such & terrible test among alien races and under strange skiea. How well you must remember how thase men went forth from this eity with banners gaily fiying and martial music thrill. ing their generous souls. How dif- ferentthe scenes of Chicamauge and Montauk Point and other camps at that time when we saw them in the struggles unto death with wasting fever, their shouts of joq turned linto groans of pain, when martial music had given place to the ncise. less death watch, when their vigors cus forms which had gone forth in the strength of manhood wete re- duced to shadows of their former selves, when, after serving their country, they possesse¢ naught but that for which they had striven, their country’s stainless flag. Monument Altar of Patriotism “I trust that this monument will ever serve as an altar of patriotism reminding tlie people of-this great commonwealth of their dutiesas citie zens of the greatest country h. the world and T hope that by these serv- ices you will be strengthened, by -a determination to take a deeper ine terest in the affairs of our nation, For, after all, this dedication means nothing unless we combine with it & determination to carry out the prine eiples for which the men this status represents were willing and ready to lay down their lives, it must be. Lin. coln once said. ‘it is not' only te honor the dead that tablets were erccted but that the llving might consecrate themselves anew to their dutics as citizens.’ T trugt that ' will be the spirit that will d. inate the thoughts of all here day and by these services, that c. will ‘consecrate himself anew to duty as a citizen.’ “It has often been said and tru 80, that the responsibilities resti upon our citizens in time of pea are as great as those which confro them in time of war. And toda my friends the responsibilities rest ing upen you are as great, if no inl(y from Spain. Of nobility—we set { the Cubans free and establithed only {a protectorate over them to shield them from foreign foes. Of human. ity—in the Philippines wa restored domestic tranquillity, fed the starve 1ng. glothed the naked, healed the sick, sstadlished pubdlic aducation, improved the public health and pub- greater than during the late warl You must fight the battle of ‘Ameri canism’ and ba prapared to.apreac its gospel to every nook amd corner. of dur beloved country and stem that: t1de of propaganda whieh 1» dexighed ' to sudject Amariean institutions and (Continued on Page 13)