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    "localId": "7583544",
    "label": "Notes for Use at Luncheon Given at Metropolitan Museum of Art",
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    "id": "7583544",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Notes for Use at Luncheon Given at Metropolitan Museum of Art",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7583544",
    "collections": [
        "Eisenhower, Dwight D: Papers, Pre-Presidential",
        "Principal Files"
    ],
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    "levelOfDescription": "item",
    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 2,
            "logicalDate": "1946-04-02",
            "month": 4,
            "year": 1946
        }
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    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "In foreign lands American soldiers have made new contacts with portions of\nmankind's vast heritage of culture. Many have been awakened to the permanent\nvalue of beauty as expressed in architecture, sculpture, painting, and folk-\narts. Prompted by curiosity, respect and interest, thousands of America's\nfighting men have spent countless hours touring the art centers of Europe\nand the Orient.\nThese same soldiers have seen the destruction of priceless artistic treasures.\nBut, and perhaps understandably, this fact has served only to increase their\nrespect and veneration for civilizations of the past. They tried, within,\nsometimes beyond the limits of military prudence, to preserve and protect\nthese products of man's creative instinct, but war is essentially destruction.\nAn army at war must incessantly hurl destructive force at the enemy, and, in\nthis process, much of the world's heritage in art has been inevitably damaged\nand lost in the late global conflict. I am grateful to the directors of the\nMetropolitan Museum for their generosity in having accorded me an honorary\nmembership for my small part in protecting these monuments. The credit belongs\nto the officers and men of the combat echelons whose veneration for priceless\ntreasures persisted, even in the heat and fears of battle.\nAnother view of the fate of art in war was presented to our soldiers when,\nat long last, we penetrated to the heart of Naziism. There, in caves, in\nmines, and in isolated mountain hideouts we found that Hitler and his gang,\nwith unerring instinct for enriching themselves, had stored art treasures,\nfilched from their rightful owners throughout conquered Europe. Alongside\nbar and minted gold were found paintings, statues, tapestries, jewelry and\nall else that the Nazis knew mankind would pay much to rescue and preserve.\nSome of this has been restored - some, not easy to identify, is still under\nthe care of the captors.\n2"
}