Mo. lawmakers fight WWI memorial in Washington

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's congressional delegation is opposing an effort to establish a World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The lawmakers say such a move would diminish the importance of Kansas City's Liberty Memorial, which Congress has designated as the National World War I Museum.

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Republican Sen. Kit Bond have introduced bills to ensure events tied to the 100th anniversary of the start of Great War, to begin in 2014, are anchored at the Liberty Memorial.

A Republican congressman is pushing legislation to expand the current District of Columbia memorial to World War I veterans to encompass all U.S. veterans of the war. He notes Washington already features memorials to the Korean and Vietnam wars and to World War II.

------

Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com