Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-23
DEFENDS HIS DESIGN
ScuIptor's Father Declares
Barry Statue Is Correct.
TRUE TO IRISH HISTORY
Son. He Insists, Will Never Consent
to Make Changes.
ART ABOVE COMMERCIALISM
Critics Talking Through Their
Hats" and Show Ignorance-Is
Coming Here to Investigate.
TRUE TO IRISH HISTORY
ART ABOVE COMMERCIALISM


WORCESTER. Mass. March 23.-At
his homo in Holden. Mass. Andrew
O'Connor. ST., himself a well known
sculptor. and father Of Andrew O'Connor.
jr.. whose model was selected for the
Commodore Barry monument. was inter-
viewed about the Washington dispatches
telling of the commissions decision to
ask for sweeping notifications on the
monument. y little over a week ago
Mr.. O'Connor came from his Paris studio
about some matter in connection with the
monument.
Mr.. O'Connor was much surprised when
told that the commission would request
his son to make sweeping notifications
in the nude and undraped figures in the
allegorcal groups and in the frieze.
Never" declared the sculptor, never
will my son consent to any such sweep
ing notifications. His art will stand
above commercialism. feel certain that
he will drop the whole affair rather than
make the changes 1t says here the COM
mission will ask. There will be no direc-
toire gown nor picture hats on any OF
the figures in the Barry monument.
''Show Their Ignorance"
THE members Of \. o. H.. who say
the monument reflects discredit anyway
upon the Irish race. are talking through
their hats and show a glazing ignorance
OF Irish history.
Their claim that the monument is too
much about Ireland and too little about
America is merely subterfuge. Right
along they have commended that figures
of the immigrants and the nude figures OF
the Irish race in the barbaric state repre-
sented in the frieEe should be eliminated.
If this were done it would destroy every
idea the monument seeks to convey.
Il am surprised that the commission
has given heed to the clamoring of a lot
Of prudes whose false modesty was
shocked. My son and l thrashed out the
fore the model was submitted. and 1 know
my son will stand out for the model as
submitted, or not at all. He is of Irish
extraction, and would be the last to in
any way discredit the Irish race. The
claim that the monument represents
Barry as an Irishman rather than as an
American navy officer is tommy rot.
am going to Washington myself in the
matter
Action Of the Commission.
Because of protests that the O'Connor
design for the statue Of Commodore John
Barry represents the revolutionary hero
in the character Of an Irishman rather
than as an American naval officer, the
artist has been requested by the Barry
statue commission to modify his design to
the extent of eliminating the ailegorical
groups and the frieze work on the wall OF
the fountain forming the background OF
the statue proper. These features repre-
sent important events in the early history
of Ireland.
This action was taken at a meeting OF
the Barry statue cimmissicn, held at the
War Department late yesterday after
noon. There were present Secretary
Dickinson. Secretary Meyer and Senator
WetmOre Of the commission, and Col.
Cosby, Col. Bromwell and Mr.. Pedigo, Of
ficers of the commission. The meeting
was called to hear representatives Of the
Irish American societies which objected
to the accepted design of the statue Ac-
companied by these visitors, the Commits
sioners went to the fifth floor Of the War
Department and inspected the O'Connor
model.
Using the model as an object lesson
Representative Driscoll of the Syracuse.
N. Y, district; P. j. Haltigan and NJ. F..
O'Donoghue Of this city. representing the
Ancient Order of Hibernians and other
societies, addressed the commission i'm on
position to the adoption of that design
Their main contention is embodied in the
following statement. given out last night:
Considered "Misconception."
1.-THE main objection to the O'Connor
model, presented by Representative Dris-