The Washington herald., 1913-01-29
COOPER Defends
MEMORIAL Plan
Replies to Speech of Repre-
sentative Borland Advocat-
ing Gettysburg Road.
TALKS ABOUT TEMPLES
Washington Monument and Other
Things Used as Examples by
Wisconsin Lawmaker.

Be- Discussion OF the Lincoln Memorial
was injected into the general debate on
the Notifications appropriation bill yes
terday. Representative Cooper of Wis
consln, who has been studying the sub
ject and has been much impressed by
the magnihcence OF the idea, finally got
into action when Representative Borland
of Missouri. a leading advocate OF the
road to Gettysburg form OF memorial,
wound up a stirring peroration with a
few sighting remarks about Greek
temples. Mr.. Borland evidently did not
think it fitting that an Americn patriot
should be memorialized by a structure
which smaCks OF the architectural ideas
Of ancient Greece.
Mr.. Cooper came back with q few side
lights on Greek temples and modern
architecture.
Il have listened with much interest to
what the gentleman from Missouri has
said about the Greek temple effect" be-
gan the Wisconsin member. IT have re-
ceived many letters denouncing the
Greek temple. Apparently. very few peo-
PIE know anything about what really is
proposed. The room in the memorial hall
Is TO be higher than this chamber. The
hall itself is 10 he higher by & number
OF feet than this wing OF the Capitol.
The columns will be about twenty-five
feet in circumference. and the whole
structure will be magnificent and very
beautiful
Enter, Face Statue.
lone entering the hall will see nothing
before him except at the other end
statue of Abraham Lincoln, not IN
Greek clothes, as somebody said yes
terday, but clad as he was here In WASH
ington when saving the republic of the
United States.
h
jects 10 the memorial because 1t is of
Greek architecture. He calls II a Greek
temple. From this I know that had the
gentleman from Missouri been in Con-
gress when the hill for the monument to
George Washington was presented-that
provision for an obelisk $50 feet, high-he
would have arisen and said:
WAS George Washington an Egyp-
ton? Mr.. Speaker, are we to have an
obelisk in honor OF the father of his
country? God forbid! Are We to have
obelisk 10 George Washington, and every
time wea look at il think of Kameses II
md Tethmosis and Hatshepsut? Are
We TO look at that towering obelisk and
think of these Egyptian rulers, and
never think of the father Of his country,
George Washington? The House was
bowling with laughter and applause by
this time. and Mr.. Cooper took a long
breath and started again
THE gentleman breads the thought of
4 Greek temple. How he must shudder
whenever he goes along Fifteenth
Street. looks UP at the Treasury build |
Ing and sees those Greek columns
Possibly he takes another street.
Talks About Architecture.
Il infer that the gentleman prefers
American architecture. for example. the
structure on the Avenue, the Post-Office
building, which Senator Hawley, several
years ago. described as a cross between
n cathedral and a cotton factory. Or
perhaps. he has a still more ardent
admiration for another example of pure
American architecture, that lofty red
shed which dsfgures Judiciary Square
and is called the Pension Building.
I shall vote to build this great
memorial hall in honor of Abraham
Lincoln
Representative Stephens Of Texas yes
trrday introduced a concurrent resolu- |
ton calling for the rejection OF the re-
port of the Lincoln Memorial Commits /
sion in favor of structure on the Mall !
and substituting a plan for the con-
Of a handsome Memorial ha a
or auditorium in this city. to be known /
as the Lincoln Memorial Hall.