The Washington herald., 1907-01-10

OF skyscrapers. He said they were fine
for the people who occupied the upper
stories. but how the people down below
were 20 breathe he did not know, He
declared that a mathematician had fig
ured out that IL an earthquake should
happen and shake the skysCrapers Of New
York down, their inhabitants would make
a pile OF people In the street twenty-eight
feet high He stigmatized the skyscrapers
as "the monstrosities Of Broadway" and
urged that the country build for beauty
rather than for gain
Continuing, he called the attention OF
the institute to the need of building care
fully inside as well as out He spoke
of the charms Of the old buildings Of
Europe. and said that no modern dec
orator could hope to vie with this. Archi-
lecture. he thought. was a noble educd-
tion for the people. and he remarked,
We can't educate all our people on Car
negie libraries. Some Of them can't read
and others don't want to- He paid
touching tribute 10 the statue by St
Gaudens. 1t is shat statue which ST.
Gaudens never named. and about which
he would give no explanation. Hopkin-
son Smith met him once and asked him
what # meant
What does Il say to you?" asked the
sculptor
r. HOpkinson smiths Views.
'ro me. replied HOpkinson Smith. "the
beauty Of il far transcends the beauty
OF Venus de Milo It typihes 10 me the
ngure Of despair over a form of great
loveliness. now dead. II seems to wait
there in its frozen sorrow-waiting till the
last trumpet shall resOund, ready 10 as
cend with the spirit into the realms above.
What was your idea In creating it?'
Don't let me disturb your thoughts OF
IT.. was all the sculptors reply.
Owen Wister. the novelist. was the next
speaker, and he had hardly started be-
fore Speaker Cannon arrived, and his en-
trance was the signal for all to rise in
greeting token at which the aged
statesman seemed hugely pleased Mr
Wis;er spoke Of art as being indigenous
to the soil, but if it Is great enough il
transcends the borders Of nationality and
becomes the common property Of all the
world. He spoke 0f the Monroe Doc
trine as applied TO the tariff on art, and
said IL was unfair TO keep from our
shores the empire Of beauty Shut the
doors on her and you but impoverisb the
nation. He spoke Of the growth Of Amer
lean art American poetry. American
architecture. and American literature and
he felt sure that the time was not far
off when our architecture should be all
our own, redOlent Of our land. our ira
ditions. our hopes
SIR Aston webb Greeted.
Sir Aston Webb. who wore the beau
tiful medal presented him by the Ameri-
can Society. apolosized for not being an
orator. and said that in view Of the
speeches he had heard. he felt like a
very small English house surrounded by
American skyscrapers. He congratulated
The institute on achieving its nftieth an
niversary. though, for nay part" said he,
when won the distinction Of having ar
rived at fifty years. did not think il a
subject for cOagratulatiou"
Speaker Canon called on for a speech.
told "a few rather witty stories and paid a
tribute 70 Owen Wisters novels, which,
he said. were good American literature.
and this gave him an opening 10 condemn
what be called the literature Of graft.
which, be said. was made up very largely
Of guesses ana containing one grain Of
literature Of to-day might be all right, but.
for his part. he declared ne would rather
have an ounce Of Fenncmore Cooper. Of
Irving, Of Thscksray. or of Dickens.
Cannon in Witty Strain.
He continued his speech in a witty
strain, and. speaking Of the architecture
OF Massachusetts. he declared il would
have to be very bad. indeed 70 keep in
touch with the badness Of the New Eng
land railroads, and he declared that no
one was sorry that the law had forbidden
the issuing Of free transportation on
Massachusetts roads. as no one rode on
them unless he absolutely had TO-
He took occasion 10 iaud the prosperity
of the United States. which. he declared.
was the market Of the world, and said
that because OF that prosperity It was pos
sible for the clients OF the architects to
give them orders for beautiful buildings.
The last speaker was George B. Post
who responded 10 the toast The Amer
lean Institute OF Architects
At the Speakers Table.
Those seated at the speakers table
were:
Sir Aston webb r. A. F. S A. Nr Speaker
Cannon. }r. ElIhu Root Secretary Of state. Nlr.
Prank Miles Day president a l. A; NT. Justice
Edward y. White. Mr.. Esme Howard charge d af-
fsircs. British Embassy: Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
Right Re-. Nou.iFnor O'Couuei3, Mr. Robert Ba-
con, Assistant Secretary q ssate Bishop Henry l.
SatteTloc. SiT CasUar Puriell CLARK. Hon. H. B. r.
Macfaraud. Prank H. Hitchcock. Assistant Post
master General, William 4 Aiuudie. Representative
FCsS. Frgdcrick Law Olmstead =. g. Lind, Francis
=. Leupp, Herbert Putnam, Alede Chausse. Col
Charles :. Bromwel L. s. a " :. Eames. e. NJ
FfUulke. Z. II. Bashfed. PROF. Simon Newc1mb.
Z. = y. Rev DT. Edward Everett Hale. Gen X.
N O'ReIIly Richard Rathbun. a. Salm g. Bzn.
d. II. Bunham, Representative Samuel " Mccall.
kari Bitter, r. HofkiBson Smith Br. 4. n. Harrf-
son. Chares Pollen Mckm. Senator Knute Nelson
Dr. +. A. Alderman Owen Wister. George b. Post
Tast president A l. A. Frcdalck Dielman Dr.
Charles " NeCdham- y. b. tii0urus. Thomas Nelson
Page. Henry Siddons MoWhay. Prof " II Holmes
Mai John 5 SeWcll. L. ;. A.. Robert 5. Peabody.
Representative Richard Barthoidt II. v Manchester
Henry HoTnbostei, r. S. Woodward William A.
Lsnst0n, Dana e. Bartlett, X. 1. Warren, and Cas-
Gilbert
ARCHITECTS UNVEIL TABLET
In Honor of the Founders of the
American Institute