SITES FOR MEMORIALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 June 1921, Page 8

SITES FOR MEMORIALS.

NEW ACTIONS* HIGH COMMISSIONER’S WO£K. DESIGN FOR CHUNUK BAIR. London, April 22. Mr. S. Hurst »Seager, of Christchurch, whom the New Zealand Government has asked to prepare a plan for he proposed war memorial on Gallipoli, left to-day for the peninsula. When the Government expressed the desire that the memorial should be erected on Chunuk Bair, the High Commissioner asked Colonel Hughes (who is in charge of the War Graves Commission oil the peninsula) and Lieutenant A. W. Mildennall (a New Zealander with the commission) to report on the matter of the site. The question arose whether the memorial on the pinnacle of the hill would not clash with the cross of sacrifice wEich is to be erected in the cemetery situated a little below the crest of the liill. Sir James Allen and Sir John Burnet, the architect for the war graves of the East, thoroughly discussed the matter, with the result that satisfactory arrangements were made to co-ordinate the construction and sites of the two stones so as not to spoil the artistic effect of either. Both Sir John Burnet and Mr. Seager were satisfied that this could be done. Sir James considered it was necessary that the architect of the memorial stone should inspect the site and the surroundings, and suggested this to the New Zealand Government. This arrangement was approved, a limitation being placed on the expenditure. As the result Mr. Seager will spend a week or so as the guest of the War Graves Commission, and thus be in a proper position to do justice to the work put into his hands.

On his return from Gallipoli Mr. Seager is to meet the High Commissioner in France, when they will proceed to Le Quesnoy to make definite arrangements with the Mayor concerning the memorial there. From there they go to Messines. The original site pro]>p=od there was found to be close to the Australian lines. Another site which the High Commissioner saw when he was last on the ground, he thinks, he will be able to procure. possible that he may visit Longueval as well to arrange certain matters with regard to the site already procured near that village. “After prolonged correspondence and some heavy fighting,’’ said Sir James, •’ we have got from the Belgians a promise that wo shall have the site we want at Gravenstafol. Arrangements are now being made to secure it.’’ The High Commissioner will leave for France about May 13.

A cable message published recently stated that Sir James Allen and Sir William Merries had spent a week in France, and had made satisfactory arrangements regarding the sites for the three New Zealand war memorials.