The Washington herald., 1912-01-14
DECISION ON SITE
is EXPECTED SOON
Senator Cullom Makes Announce,
ment After Conference with Taft
Regarding Lincoln Memorial.

A meeting viii be held by the Lincoln
memorial commission at the White
House. Monday, January =, to decide
upon a site FOR the proposed memorial
This announcement was made yester-
day by Senator CLIlom, q member OF the
commission, following a conference with
President Taft.
For several months the commission has
been at work viewing sites and examin-
ing models, and II Is generally under
stood that they are now ready to report
their decision. The District Commis-
sIoners are anxious that the question be
deciGed In order that final action can
be taken by Congress, and steps toward
fhe actual erection OF the memorial
started.
While It is thought that the commits
sion will decide upon either the Bacon
or Pope plans there are many people
be IN the form Of a great roadway. not
withstanding practically all the promi-
nent architects OF the country are In
favor OF the former plans.
For the purpose Of pointing out what
he believes are good reasons why the
monument form OF memorial Is much
more appropriate and less costly than
the roadway plan. Glenn Brown. \secre-
tary Of the American Institute OF Archi-
| tects, has sent out a letter giving some
facts and figures concerning the esti-
mated cost Of the two plans The letter
is In part as follows:
The annual expense OF the mainte-
nance Of the bituminous-macadam road
way would be 81. 100 a mile and the park
way s.. 200 a mile for a road similar to
the proposed boulevard TO Mount Yer
non, and twice this sum for the grander
Gettysburg memorial, or 500 mile.
and $4,000 for the complete distance
Now, IL has been found that II Is neces-
sary. since the Introduction OF the auto
mobile In the New York highways. to
practically rebuild their roadbeds once
every four years. This. with a road SIM
liar to the Mount Vernon one, would cost
81, 100 900 per annum, or with the grander
Gettysburg memorial one, 8, f00.O 900. Add
annual maintenance. and we would have
an annual expenditure OF about s. .920.0Oo.
''The Lincoln Memorial Roadway Asso-
citation does not stop at parking and
driveways, but contemplates memorial
structures. Now, to be effective, such
memorials should be at least one-half
mile apart one on each side. making
400 at 500. 90 each. making .o0o.ooo, with
an annual maintenance at per cent, or
s., 600 COO.
TT will be seen that the expense Of
such an undertaking will be enormous,
and what do we obtain as a memorial to
Lincoln? II will be wanting in the SIM
plIcity, directness, and individuality so
necessary in a memorial TO an individual
It would require a trip Of 100 miles 20
view H. Its name and connection with
Lincoln will not be thought OF by one
IN a thousand who race over its surface
II will require 100 miles OF stately struc-
lures commemorating other individuals
and events TO make IL imposing.
There is only one logical character OF
memorial to LincolR-and one logical site
for this memoriaI-those commended by
the park commission In 1902, since ap-
proved officially as the one site and the
one form of a memorial to Lincoln by
forty experts on three different boards"