The Washington herald., 1907-11-04

Gen. Granville NJ Dodge. chairman %
the Grant Memorial Commission VIII
come to Washington shortly TO confer
/ with the other members Of that body in
regard 10 the site for the proposed me-
mortal There is said 70 De little prob
ability that the commission viii consent
20 any change Gen Dodge and Secre-
tary Of War Taft were charged with the
| responsibility Of locating the memorial
and It was not until long after the site
had been fixed in the National Botanic
/ Gardens that the commission heard Of
the historic trees which have caused. the
1 recent hubub
In a recent interview Gen. Dodge had
this 10 say:
The original plan was to build the
Grant memorial in the north part Of the
large circular field south OF the White
House. and the successful artists model
was made 10 nj that location. Objection
from the government and others decided
the commission 90 select another location.
and finally it decided upon the Botanic
Gardens as the only place in the city
fitted for the memorial. and Congress
confirmed this location.
The memorial IS the most important
work Of sculpture IN the District OF CO.
lumbia, and its location ia relation 10 the
Capitol and hall is one Of the most com
maading character and greatest dignity
1t is % feet in its lowest axis. s. feet in
It's shortest. Upon one end is a charge Of
| cavalry, on the other end is a battery
going into action. and in the center an
equestrian statue Of Grant upon a suit
able celestial The platform IS of marble
four and one-half feet high. and IS in
tended for a reviewing stand.
Experts Fix Location.
The committee OF experts fixing the
/ location in the Botanic Gardens selected
the center Of the grand approach % the
great Mall, or avenue, reaching from the
Capitol 10 the Washington Monument. as
planned by the art commission 10 con-
form 10 the original LEufant' pIan.sin
which the site Of the Botanic Gardens
IS set down as an ornamented square.
forming a suitable approach 10 the Cap
it1l from the west
The government. IN its public improve
ments. has located the new Agricultural
and National Museum buildings 90 con-
form % the art commissions plans. II
has also lately spent millions in the new
railway station. il order 10 remove the
railway tracks from the proposed Mall
Great Artists Employed.
We have spent long time and en-
ployed The most distinguished landscape
architects and artists in dtting the me-
mortal 70 the location which was selected
nearly two years ago. and the memorial
has been staked out on these grounds
more than a year II IS q remarkable
fact that no one discovered these trees
or made them known 10 Is until all the
preliminary work was done and We com
menced digging the foundation
Tire fact that Secretary Taft and nv
self were absent from Washington pre-
vented our acting upon the protests as a
commission. and We suspended the work
until We could have time 70 fully inves-
tgate the matter"
Western Newspaper Opinion.
Commenting upon the controversy
which has been stirred up n account Of
the Crittenden. Beck. and Shepherd trees.
the Council Bluffs Iowa Daily Nonpa-
ren says:
In its anxiety 70 preserve these So
called historical trees, the Washington
press seems 10 forget the overshadowing
Importance Of the deeds performed by
Grant. deeds the memory and result Of
which VIII last through the ages. The
events represented by all three Of these
trees together DO not equal the least OF
any OF Grants public acts. and the idea OF
relocating a great memorial Of this kind
on such trivial grounds seems ridiculous.
The plans OF the memorial were laid and
the location selected with a view 10 con-
form 10 the reports Of the Burnham com
mission for beautifying Washington. and
bringing il back 20 the old L'Enfart de-
sign. and now TO upset it all for these
trees would be 10 indulge in something
strongly akin 10 opera bOUnR
statue or Trees:
IT the statue cosld be moved a few
feet 10 avoid the trees. there doubtless
would be no objection, but it is under
stood that a radical change Of location
the veterans OF the civil war would al
most unanimously oppose The sugges-
ton that the trees. not the statue. be
moved seems sensible. That il is said.
can easily be done without great risk 10
the life OF the trees.
1T appears that the Washington papers
have seized upon the subject as a suit
able one for a season Of hysteria. And
they threaten TO 90 10 Congress with II.
That Is the final report in Washington.
Well successfully as that plan some
times works. We have our doubts in this
case. The veterans who revere the name
Of Grant viii be heard from if 1t comes 10
that. AMI behind them viii be the people
Of the whole country.
Washington ought 10 come out OF Il.
and look for a new nine-day wonder. one