Grave Negotiations: the Rhetorical Foundations of American
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GRAVE NEGOTIATIONS: THE RHETORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN WORLD WAR I CEMETERIES IN EUROPE by David W. Seitz Bachelor of Arts, Johns Hopkins University, 2002 Master of Arts, Johns Hopkins University, 2005 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2011 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by David W. Seitz It was defended on May 17, 2011 and approved by Dr. Neepa Majumdar, Associate Professor, Department of English Dr. Brenton Malin, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Dr. Gordon Mitchell, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Dr. Kirk Savage, Professor, Department of History of Art and Architecture Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Ronald J. Zboray, Professor, Department of Communication ii Copyright © by David W. Seitz 2011 iii GRAVE NEGOTIATIONS: THE RHETORICAL FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN WORLD WAR I CEMETERIES IN EUROPE David W. Seitz, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2011 This dissertation uncovers the processes of negotiation between private citizens, President Woodrow Wilson’s administration, the War Department, and the Commission of Fine Arts that led to the establishment and final visual presentation of the United States permanent World War I cemeteries in Europe (sites that are still frequented by tens of thousands of international visitors each year). It employs archival research and the analysis of newspapers and photographs to recover the voices of the many stakeholders involved in the cemeteries’ foundation. Whereas previous studies have attempted to understand American World War I commemoration practices by focusing on postwar rituals of remembrance alone, my study contextualizes and explains postwar commemoration by analyzing the political ideologies, public rhetoric, and material realities of the war years (1914-1918)—ideologies, rhetoric, and material realities that shaped official and vernacular projects of memory after the Armistice. Providing what I believe is the first complete history of American World War I cemeteries in Europe, my dissertation situates these rhetorically charged sites within contemporary political debates about what it meant for U.S. soldiers to die on foreign soil; what would constitute the “proper” treatment and commemoration of the nation’s war dead; how much control the U.S. government should have over the lives and bodies of American citizens; and, how best to communicate the nation’s image to international populations. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ..................................................................................................................... VIII 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 ORIGINS OF MY STUDY ..................................................................... 1 1.2 PREVIOUS SCHOLARSHIP AND PROJECTED CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNICATION STUDIES ...................................................................... 4 1.3 SOURCES, METHODS, AND APPROACH ...................................... 25 1.4 THESIS AND CHAPTER DESIGN .................................................... 32 2.0 THE UNCENSORED VIEW OF WAR AND DEATH FROM AFAR: PRE-WAR AMERICAN MEDIA DEPICTIONS ....................................................... 38 2.1 THE UNCENSORED VIEW FROM AFAR ...................................... 38 2.2 “ACRES OF DEAD AND DYING” ..................................................... 42 2.3 “THE HUMAN SLAUGHTER-HOUSE” ........................................... 58 2.4 “AN UNQUENCHABLE THIRST FOR BLOOD” ........................... 80 2.5 PROPER GRIEVING AND THE LOSS OF AMERICAN LIFE..... 92 2.6 THE PROSPECT OF WAR AND DEATH ...................................... 107 3.0 PURSUING THE “BODY AND SOUL AND SPIRIT” OF EVERY AMERICAN THE GOVERNMENT’S WARTIME PROJECT OF MOTION ..... 128 3.1 A “PROJECT OF MOTION” ............................................................ 128 v 3.2 WILSON’S SPEECH TO CONGRESS ............................................. 134 3.3 MOTION, LEGISLATED .................................................................. 141 3.4 “BODY AND SOUL AND SPIRIT” .................................................. 162 3.5 “GRESHAM, ENRIGHT, AND HAY!” ............................................ 181 3.6 OVER THERE ..................................................................................... 197 3.7 DEATH: THE SOLDIER’S PERSPECTIVE ................................... 210 4.0 A SENTIMENTAL VERNACULAR: FAMILY LETTERS AND THE BURYING OF WORLD WAR I SOLDIERS ............................................................ 237 4.1 A MOTHER’S LETTER .................................................................... 237 4.2 AMERICAN WAR DEAD .................................................................. 241 4.3 ANXIETY AND ANGER .................................................................... 246 4.4 LEGAL NEXT OF KIN ...................................................................... 249 4.5 ECONOMIC CLASS ........................................................................... 252 4.6 BRING THEM HOME ....................................................................... 255 4.7 LET THEM REST ............................................................................... 259 4.8 SECOND CLASS SOLDIERS, FIRST CLASS CORPSES ............ 263 4.9 OFFICIAL APPROPRIATION OF A SENTIMENTAL VERNACULAR .................................................................................................... 271 4.10 “AMERICA SHOULD KEEP HER PROMISE” ............................. 279 5.0 LIFE, DEATH, GOD, AND NATION: THE CEMETERIES’ FINAL VISUAL PRESENTATION ......................................................................................... 282 5.1 INTRODUCTION: A KAIROTIC MOMENT .................................. 282 5.2 THE COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS .............................................. 291 vi 5.3 A CONSTRAINED RHETORICAL POSITION ............................. 294 5.4 THE CFA’S PLANS ............................................................................ 328 5.5 THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION ...... 343 5.6 THE CEMETERIES’ FINAL VISUAL PRESENTATION ............ 374 5.7 A VISUAL RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ........................................... 385 6.0 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 409 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 415 vii PREFACE This dissertation would not have been possible without the consistent support, guidance, and kindness of my family, friends, and professors. These following words cannot adequately express my gratitude nor indicate how much I appreciate the generosity of the many wonderful people in my life. My dissertation committee has generously offered guidance, feedback, and generative discussion throughout this process. I thank Professors Brenton Malin, Gordon Mitchell, Neepa Majumdar, and Kirk Savage for their continued interest in my work and development as a scholar. I particularly want to thank my chair and advisor, Ronald J. Zboray, and Mary Saracino Zboray for their endless patience, positive feedback, and ability to talk me off the metaphorical ledge several times throughout this process. They have been wonderful mentors to me since the day I arrived at Pitt. I want to thank my parents, Susie and Bill, for teaching me at an early age the values of compassion, hard work, and staying true to one’s self. I want to thank my parents-in-law, Sara and Peter, who consistently offered love and encouragement as I pursued my Ph.D. I would also like to thank my siblings—Eric, Willy, and Ellie—for putting up with me for 28, 25, and 19 years, respectively, and the members of my extended family who bring me joy (and let me crash on their couches when traveling to academic conferences). viii I also want to thank my friends David Landes and Katie O’Neill for their humor and lively conversation over the past year—it has kept me sane. Most of all, I want to thank Michael Vicaro, who helped me develop most of the ideas that appear in this paper. Finally, I thank my sweetheart, Ali, for her constant love, support, and music. In memory of William Henry Seitz (1914-2004) Jeno Versenyi (1924-2005) Mamie Asberry (1925-2010) ix 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 ORIGINS OF MY STUDY My dissertation uncovers the processes of negotiation between private citizens, President Woodrow Wilson’s administration, the War Department, and the Commission of Fine Arts that led to the establishment and final visual presentation of the United States permanent World War I cemeteries in Europe (sites that are still frequented by tens of thousands of international visitors each year). It employs archival research, oral history, site observation, the analysis of newspapers and photographs, and interpretive ethnography to recover the voices of the many stakeholders involved in the cemeteries’ foundation. Whereas previous studies have attempted to understand American World War I commemoration practices by focusing on postwar rituals of remembrance alone, my study contextualizes and explains postwar commemoration by analyzing the political ideologies, public rhetoric, and material realities of the war years (1914-1918)— ideologies, rhetoric, and material realities that shaped official and vernacular projects of memory after the Armistice. Providing