"Disgrace to Massachusetts"

"There are ten acres of land in France that are a disgrace to the State of Massachusetts. . . . Nine acres of that land was bought by the people of Massachusetts in 1920, for $20,000, to become a War Memorial; and the tenth acre was given by the adjacent community of St. Mihiel. . . . The Sacred Rocks of St. Mihiel overlook that land. Moreover it is on the main highway between St. Mihiel and Verdun. . . ." Thus cried Representative Slater Washburn of Worcester in the State Legislature of Massachusetts last week, and went on to explain himself as follows:

"The Mayor of St. Mihiel, the Municipal Council and the Cure have all complained! When they look to find what the Massachusetts memorial is they see a wide-open speakeasy run by squatters. It is a dump with old shacks and tumble down buildings on it. The French authorities cannot interfere, as it is Massachusetts territory."

State Representative Washburn is a young Harvard man (class of 1920), a onetime baseballer, popular, prominent.