Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - November 9, 1917
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November 9, 1917. Bennett C. Clark, Lieutenant-Colonel 140th U. S. Infantry, Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill, [Oklahoma] My dear Bennett: We got here all right, an hour late, on Thursday. The immediate cause of my coming so early was that President Taft, who is Chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission, of which I am a member, called a meeting of the Commission for Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, to take measures to increase the size of Lincoln’s statue in the Lincoln Memorial from ten feet to twenty-three. As it requires $60,000.00 to do it, Senator Blackburn sent me two frantic telegrams and two letters, to be sure and be there. Taft, himself, was late, and the Commission having just exactly a quorum present, had transacted the business and was adjourning when he arrived. Blackburn had been sick in bed for three weeks with the heart disease. Just how these celebrated artists came
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No. 2. L-C. B. C. C. to make such a dreadful blunder, I don’t know. They were unamious to the effect that a ten-foot statue of Lincoln in this big hall would be ridiculous and insignificant; but they knew the exact size of the hall before they ever begun. Anyhow, we have spent two millions and a quarter on the Memorial and we didn’t propose to have the thing made ridiculous by an insignificant statue of the great President. The other reason why I came, was the accumulation of business about the war. When I was home, there were from a half-dozen men, up, to see me every day about getting their sons exempted. Of course, it took a good deal of conversation and time. In addition to that, I wanted to see into the things down at Camp Doniphan; so this morning, I went to see Secretary Baker, and General McCain. I talked the matter over with Baker, and of course he don’t know much about the details. I told him that the newspaper men and Officers too, believed that there was a policy of railroading National Guard officers by means of this
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No. 3. L C. B. C. C. Efficiency Board. I told him in substance what I told General Berry. He didn’t know very much about it, so he said General McCain knew all about it. I went to see McCain. It happened nobody else was there. I had an half-hours talk with him. By the way, he is a very fine man. I told him of the feeling among both the newspaper men and the officers; that I heard scraps of it on every side. He swore positively up and down, that the War Department had no intentions whatever of railroading National Guard Officers. He said occasionally some damn fool tried that. I asked Baker and McCain both about Colonel Roup’s case and asked for the papers, but the papers had been sent back to Camp Doniphan, with directions, as I understand it, to cut out everything about him prior to this war and his new service. I told Baker it seemed to me that the statue of limitations had run against that border plan, and told McCain the same thing. He said the papers had been sent back to cut out everything prior to this war. He says they are very anxious to do all they can for the National
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No. 4. L C. B. C. C. Guard officers to make them efficient. He says they have thrown out more men who attended training camps for the Officers’ Reserve Corps in proportion to the number than any one of the others. He took the pains to read me the enclosed papers as to examination as to how they find out their efficiency and explained them to me fully, and was very kind about it. I asked him about Colonel Robbins. He said he didn’t know anything about that. Of course, I hinted around to see if I could find out when you folks were going to be sent abroad, but couldn’t get any information on that subject. It may be that my trip down there will save both Roup and Robbins. I asked him what the deuce the Depot Brigade was going to do. He said the Depot Brigade would have more to do than any of the rest. I wish you would show this letter to your friends and burn it up as soon as you have shown it to them. We had a very pleasant trip. We were only in St. Louis and hour. Made direct connection
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No. 5. L-C. B. C. C. with the 12:02 Pennsylvania train which had a through sleeper for Washington. There were two trains out of there about the same time on the Pennsylvania, one at 12:02 and 2:15 p.m. I didn’t know about the 2:15 train, but the agent had sense enough to interpret my request, and fixed me up for the 12:02 p.m. train, as it had a through sleeper for Washington and if I had taken the 2:15 train I would have had to have changed at Harrisburg. Somewhere in our wanderings up and down, your mother caught a dreadful cold. She is in bed today; although a great deal better than she was this morning. We are very comfortably situated. I left your trunks and boxed in the storage warehouse, so we are not crowded for room. I am going to have Keen make me a fine middle weight overcoat. The one I have, never did fit, and is beginning to look sort of shabby. I fixed your business and mine up in the very best way I could before I left Bowling Green. Zoula has packed all your books carefully in the back room and says she will look after them. The Pike County papers have a great spread about my speech.
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No. 7. L-C. B. C. C. I talked to General McCain about Orson Lee. He showed me from the papers I enclose, how Orson is liable to get a commission. After you read these papers, forward them to Orson Hearst’s magazine wrote me to send them a picture of the Old Court House where I used to practice law, a picture of you, our house and a picture of your mother about the time we were married. I have sent them all. It was a great deal of trouble to get the one of your mother. I sent yours in your Lieutenant-Colonel’s uniform with a cap on. They seem to be very much pleased with the autobiography. Tell your friends, the officers and men, that whenever I can serve them, to let me know. Your father, Champ Clark
Details
Title | Champ Clark letter to Bennett Champ Clark - November 9, 1917 |
Creator | Clark, Champ |
Source | Clark, Champ. Letter to Bennett Champ Clark. 09 November 1917. Clark, Champ (1850-1921) and Bennett Champ (1890-1954), Papers, 1853-1973. C0666. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
Description | In this November 9, 1917 letter to his son Bennett, Champ Clark discussed the Lincoln Memorial and the Missouri National Guard's reorganization. Champ Clark, a long-time resident of Bowling Green, Missouri, was a politician in the Democratic Party. He served as a representative of Missouri from 1893 to 1895 and from 1897 to 1921. From 1911 to 1919 he served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Bennett Clark served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 140th Regiment, 35th Division and as Assistant Chief of Staff for the 88th Division during World War I, and was Missouri State Senator from 1933 to 1945. |
Subject LCSH | Clark, Champ, 1850-1921; United States. Army. Camp Doniphan (Okla.); Clark, Bennett Champ, 1890-1954; Fort Sill (Okla.); Missouri. National Guard; Lincoln Memorial (Washington, D.C.) |
Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
Site Accession Number | C0666 |
Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
Date Original | November 9, 1917 |
Language | English |