The Washington herald., 1909-02-11

The Council OF Fine Arts ended its first
series q deliberations yesterday after
noon, liter determining two questions
One was concerning the design for a
Lincoln memorial medal, the artistic ere
alton Of the Philadelphia mint. which
President Roosevelt turned over 10 the
council Tuesday with g request for its
judgment
4 spscisi committee CT three sculptors
deliberated on the medal overnight, and
yesterday submitted a written report,
which vas unanimously adopted, and for
warded to the President. Its contents
were not made public.
Site for Memorial.
The other matter decided was the site
for national memorial 20 Lincoln in
Washington. q question 10 which Presi-
dent Roosevelt asked the councils special
attention The report on this question
also was ordered to be transmitted TO the
President. and was not given out
It Is considered almost certain, how
ever, that the council has found in favor
OF the site at the western end Of the Mall.
on the Potomac. which was selected By
The park commission. and against the
Union Station site. as q majority OF the
members are already On record as favor
Ing the park commissions plan.
Before adopting its report ths> council
was addressed. on its Invitation. by Rep
resentatiye Mccall on his much-talked-of
bin 70 place a million-dollar Lincoln ne
mortal on the plaza in front OF the Union
Station. and Cd the Joint resolution, in
trOduced IN tbs House Tuesday, to turn
over the entire matter to a special CON-
mission.
This commission is given ten months
and sl0,0o8 to decide which is the best site
for a memorial and 10 settle on an idea
for the monument itself
Includes Three Architects.
The commission Is a departure from
former House commissions. IN that II in
cludes three architects OF note, two OF
them members Of the Council CT Fine
Arts.
These are Charles F. McRim, OF New
York. and D. H Burnham, OF Chicago,
who suggested the peristyIe treatment OF
the Union Station plaza The third archi-
tect member is John NJ CaTrere. Of New
York.
Mr. Mccall explained his change OF at
titude by saying that he had had no IN
teution Of prejudging the question OF a
site. he had not given the matter ex-
haustive study, and. recognizing that
other plans might have more merit than
his Own. was entirely open 70 conviction.
as there was certainly no question but
that the best possible site must be Sc
cured.
AT the same time he believed with the
American Institute OF Architects that
something OF excellence should be done
% enoellish the Union Station plaza.
which was now q most unsigntly En-
trance 70 a great woTld-capital
The Congressman added that he recog-
nized very fully the value Of such expert
advice in art matters as the council could
give. and gave this as his reason for
adding the three architects 70 his COM
mission Of seven on the memorial site
Expresses Satisfaction.
A member Of the council last evening
expressed satisfaction at the concession
made by M Mccall to public opinion on
the matter Of the site. he added that the
council might have delayed decision on
this question had not the President spe-
cihcsIly asked that II be given immedi-
ate attention Only such matters as were
brought officially 10 il for decision were
taken up az this first meeting.
Kenyon Cox, the New York painter,
arrived for the second lays deiibera-
tons. making twenty-seven OF the coun-
Gil members present. y. II. Durham
was still among the abSentees.
The council wiz reassemhte when mat
tiers FOR its consideration have sccumu-
lated. al the call OF the chairman.