The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-21
SIMPLY USED A NOM DE PLUMB,
MIR. ANDREWS SAYS THE CUSTOM Is
GENERALLY FOLLOWED.
Claims He Is Authorized by Treasury
OmciaIs to Say No Criticism Has
Emanatcd from Them.

local press comments on the connection
Of his firm with the recent architectural
competition for the new Indianapolis Fed
eral building. In commenting on this mat
ter, Mr. Andrews last night made the
following statement:
81 have not had time TO more than
hastily skim over the various newspaper
comments upon my plans and place in the
recent government competition, but have
read enough to be utterly amazed and
astonished at the tenor and purport of
some of these articles. In the first place,
even the most unkindly disposed person
will have to admit that it is a serious
enough misfortune to have ones plans
excluded from competition because of a
technicality, particularly when qualified
persons who are in a position to pass
judgment in the matter have pronounced
his plans quite worthy of first award, and
most likely to have achieved that honor
out of all those submitted in competition.
I was quite unconscious of, nor did it dawn
upon me that anyone could give to several
newspapers of this city such a false con-
struction upon this misfortune of my firm
as that which has been so strongly sug-
gested. and / most vigorously protest
against the utter unfairness and injustice
that dominates such expressions, as being
utterly unwarranted by the facts or the
spirit or intent in any act of mine in con-
nection with this entire situation.
THE WORST FEATURE
1.-THE loss of first award in such an i'm
portant competition and the honor con-
nected Herewith sinks into complete insig-
nifcance in my mind when compared with
no raj hot how heo i'm
piled in some of these press comments.
am at complete loss to understand why
or how such attacks could be developed
from as simple a series of circumstances
as exist in this transaction. TO my friends
and those persons who are impartial and
fair in their judgment and not swayed by
every wind of gossip the bare statement of
facts all sufficient and convincing,
while to those to whom because of per-
sonal animosities or their enjoyment Of
the discontinue of others, no array Of
facts could appeal, i am completely indif
ferent
1.-The ch-heralded and advertised
three stars which have been referred to as
being of some mysterious and secret and
underhand nature were merely device
adopted nom de plum placed in bold,
black imprint Immediately beneath the gen.
eral title on each sheet of my plans, and
the exterior of the sealed envelope contain
ing the firm name, and in the most con-
spicuous position therein. AS every archi-
tect knows who enters generally into for
NAL competitions, the use of nom de
plume by each competitor is generally re-
quired and made part of the regulations
governing the competition. / reccllect
clearly the instance in this city of the COM
petition for the Indiana National Bank
building, in which / had the honor to be
competitor and submitted my plans with a
device of monogram Il. N within a cir
Gle, as nom de plume. do not recollect
as a sequence thereto, any derogatory CON-
ments criticisms.
1T would be a very easy matter to cite
many other competitions in which nom de
plumes have been required. Unlike the
the government does not permit the use of
a nom de plume. having a different ar
rangement which, because of its equip
ment with a special architectural depart
apt TO be the case in general commercial
conditions
RULES NOT CLOSELY READ.
1.-THE great pressure of business delayed
the completion of my drawings for this
work to such an extent that 1 was obliged
to finish my description and estimates upon
the train while going to Washington and
In my room at the hotel in that city, thus
preventing my close scrutiny of the printed
Tarsney act, which accompanied the type
ing, as 1 recollect, no particular mention of
the subject. Just after my messenger had
deposited my plans in the department, I
caused inquiry TO made through a third
person about this point and learning that
1T was likely to be ruled against, / made,
through this person, request for the re-
turn of my plans for the purpose of eras-
ing the nom de plume, the plans not yet
having been placed before the judges. This
request was denied me and / was obliged
to abide by the result, yet not believing
that it would really be a ruling against
me. No other request of this or any other
nature was ever made at any time by me
or others concerning my plans The whole
tenor of the early newspaper reports on the
above points has been erroneous and has
put a totally false construction upon them.
Furthermore, all portions of the reports
that have been printed which refer in any
way to expressions OF the supervising
architects of the department are unauthor-
lied, since the supervising architect has
given me full authority to say that his de-
partment has made no public official re-
port of any kind or description and does
not countenance in any way whatever any
statement purporting to proceed therefrom
which directly or indirectly casts the
slightest reflection upon my course in any
particular connected with this competition.
The verification of this statement is within
the easy reach of any one and should be
quite sufficient to put an end to false re-
ports"
AS to the gentlemen who went to Wash
ington from Indianapolis partly upon pri-
vate business of their own and partly be-
cause of their interest In the outcome of
this competition / have only TO say that to
my knowledge their purposes and acts
were above criticism and had nothing
whatever in view regarding the influencing
of any Judges of the competition in my
behalf a proceeding which, because of
the high character Of the jury and the
fact that IL is their custom TO work be-
hind closed doors and in continuous ses-
sion, would be utterly impossible of ac-
complishment.
IN CASE OF A TIE.
1T was the hope of these gentlemen that
some firm identified with Indianapolis
might be awarded first place, or in the
event of a tie between two or more de-
signs, the tie being announced in the re-
port of the jury 10 the secretary Of the
treasury, that IL would be possible for
them to use their influence IN favor of the
local concern in such a juncture And GER
tainly such a course would not be open
TO the criticism OF anyone.
''In considering this question the public
must take into account the fact that a
very different mode OF procedure governs
an architectural competition for a govern
ment building. from those methods which
are usual and permissible In the securing of
acter for an individual. And people should
not therefore be quick to jump at conclu-
sions that the latter methods were sought