Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-09

memorial of bronze or stone
for half q century. Abraham
~ Lincoln. the preserver OF the
Union. is at last to be given
such recognition through the erection or
the greatest monument that the nation
has ever built to any man.
a magnificent marble structure. glisten-
ing in snow white brilliance against the
green background OF surrounding forests
and hills. and throwing down the gaunt-
let to any edifce heretofore built by the
hand of man. Is to be put up at the
point where the Mall the nations his
toric parkway, reachesthe water front OF
the no less historic Potomac river.
When this memorial Is built 1t will
grace one end of the Mall. at the other
end of which stands the National Capitol
At the feet OF that Capitol will stand
the monument TO Ulysses s. Grant. the
greatest of structures of another variety.
Washingtons monument-that ionolith.
the magnificent simplicity Of which has
become most intimately associated In the
public mind with the National Capital
will be reflected in placid lagoon a
quarter of mile long that will occupy
the space between 1t and the Lincoln Me-
mortal
Directly across the Potomac stands the
old Lee mansion. the one-time home OF
the leader of the Confederacy 1t forms
the executive mansion Of Arlington ceme-
terry. the nations burying place for its
distinguished dead. Linking these two.
as Lincoln and Lee might have in spirit
clasped hands across the Potomac, and
IMPLYING the friendship that has been
restored between the north and the south,
is contemplated the erection Of a great
memorial bridge.
This final link in the three-mile chain
will give to America a parkway of his
toric Importance and artistic beauty such
as has never been laid down since the
world began. Beside 1t the classic Ap-
plan Way of Rome. bordered by statues
of unparalleled beauty, will sink into in
significance. The Capitol of the United
States has stood for more than a CEN
fury as model building In all American
architecture. The Lee mansion, three
miles away. but clearly to be seen on the
Virginia hills. is an excellent type of
distinctive colonial architecture The
Washington Monument needs no COM
ment The Grant Monument and the Lin
coin Memorial are on their way. with
practically unlimited money bac of them
and their careers guarded by q fine arts
commission that is insisting upon the
best that the world has developed
Bordering the great highway that ia to
bisect the Mall is to stand a series of
government buildings in harmony with
their surroundings. All these lie in a gov.
ernmental parkway three miles long thar
is destined to become Americas greatest
show place and to give the nation dis
tinction in the artistic world
OF these the Lincoln memorial Just now
occupies the center of attention. The
final contamination of the memorial pian
is the result OF many years of agitation.
AS far back as 1869 Congress INCORPORATED
the Lincoln Monument Association" and
funds were then collected toward ada
Quately honorlng the man who had saved
the Union Those funds were insufficient
but are still in the United States Treas
ury.
In 1902 Congress again acted upon the
idea of a Lincoln memorial. and created
a commission to secure plans and designs.
This commission never came to any
definite conclusion Many bills provrIi.-p
for an adequate memorial in Washington
have been introduced into CONGRESS. No
definite action was secured until two
years ago. a bill was finally passed
authorizing the expenditure Of $2OOU. 600
Tor this purpose.
AT that time there was created a most
distinguished commission, which was ask.
cd to settle upon q location and design
for such memorial President Taft was
chairman of that commission. Its men,
bers were Senator Shelby NJ. Cullom, who
represents Lincoln'S home district I'm Con-
gresS; Joseph G.. Cannon, then Speaker
of the House of Representatives; Champ
Clark. then leader of the minority and
how Speaker; Senator Thomas Martin,
democratic N he
Senator George Peabody Wetmore and
Representative Samuel Walker Mccall.
The federal government has. during the
past decade, finally come to an apprecia-
lion or the artistic monstrositieS that are
sure TO result from the erection of monu-
ments. memorials public buildings
through the method OF direct legislation.
SO In this case as IN others of recent
GATE, the Lincoln memorial commission,
liko other such bodies, was given the
benefit Of the advice of a fine arts COM
mission. composed of the. nations great
est authorities upon these matters.
The chairman Of the fine arts commits
sion was Daniel H. Burnham Of Chicago,
the man who designed 1.-THE great white
city for the Chicago worlds fair The
vice chairman was Francis D. Millet, the
distinguished artist who went down with
the Titanic. Other members of the COM
mission are Frederic Law Olmsted.
Thomas Hastings. DAM c. French. Cass
Gilbert and Charles Moore. all men of in
ternational reputation. This commission
puts at the disposal Of the federal gov
eminent the best that the nation has in
knowledge of art. architecture and city
building.
Il is this commission that has persuaded
the federal government to return to the
vision. as seen by Washington and Jeffer-
son and L'Enfant and to the plan of
making the Mall the place OF historical
masnifiCence that they intended IL to be-
When Congress determined upon the
building OF memorial to Lincoln the cost
OF which was to amount to the unprece-
dented figure of 5000 coo there were a
great many influences which sought to
locate that memorial at one place or an
other
The fine arts commission was asked to
consider all these plans and eventually
decided that from the standpoint Of city
development. artistic setting and general
fitness the position at the other ED Of
the Mall from the Capitol and on the
brink OF the Potomac was the most de-
s!rabIe- This commission also selected
the architect end the design Cor the me-
mortal
The Senate Of the United States
unanimously expressed its approval The
committee on library Of the House OF