Mr. Kipling, who is a member of the Imperial War
Graves Commission, published in Monday's papers a kindly article explaining the official proposals. He made it clear that the Commission have not come to an irrevocable decision, but will welcome " suggestions of every kind from the public throughout the world whose servants the Commission are." Mr. Kipling indicates the Commission's preference for plain headstones, restricted in size, " upon which the Cross or other religious symbol of the dead man's faith could be carved and his regimental badge fully displayed," on the ground that small crosses would be too fragile to stand the weather. The Commission "feel that relatives should, if they wish, .add a short inscription of their own choice "—limited to sixty-five letters—" as an expression of personal feeling and affection." As we have said before, the Commission's scheme has been thought out most carefully, but very many bereaved parents and relatives will not be satisfied unless they are allowed to have a cross as the actual headstone. This wish could be satisfied, within very strict limitations as to size, without really affecting the austere grandeur of uniformity rightly desired by the artiste and architects. When the desire for religious expression and the desire for artistic expression clash, the latter should surely give way.
Previous page
