Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-29
MEMORY OF LINCOLN
Testimonial Designs Before
the House Today.
PLEA FOR POTOMAC PARK
Representative Mccall Endorses Fine
Arts Commission.
OTHERS FAVOR HIGHWAY PLAN
Spirited Debate Over Proposed Ex-
penditure Of $4,000, 900 in Trib-
ute to War President.
OTHERS FAVOR HIGHWAY PLAN

The Lincoln memorial in Potomac Park
was befrended and combated upon the
floor of the House of Representatives for
several hours today, and before adjourn
ment it Is expected that a vote Will be
taken which will settle the question as to
whether the United States shall comment
crate the war President by g. Greek tenn
pie on the banks of the Potomac or by a
road from Washington to Gettysburg.
The speeches up to the time The Star s
report closed were vigorous in character,
and the chamber of the House Of Repre-
sentatives was well filled with members
who evidently intended to stay until the
final vote The House is divided between
the projects mentioned. but there were a
few members who were in favor of
neither. This list included Representative
Stevens of Texas. who believes that a
Lincoln memorial hall in the city of
Washington would be more to the point.
Generally speaking, the argument lies
between the atmosphere OF Greek art as
opposed to the typical American roadway,
as an adequate expression Of reverence.
Favors Potomac Park.
After half an hour wrangling on the
part of the entire membership of the
1AOUSC do W INV AhuCI tA1iIc SIOulO DC
spent on the debate, Representative Nc
Call Of Massachusetts spoke for fifteen
minutes in favor of the fine arts COM
missions plan to place the memorial in
Potomac Park.
If you look about the city Of Washing
ton" he said, you will see statues of all
sorts. You will find statues of generals
mounted on horses CT every breed SO that
| in some sections Of the city they have
r,f "a o1rxy 10 Va,
will see statues Of Presidents and states
| men and OF foreign soldiers who aided
| US in the war OF the revolution, but you
will find no national memorial for Lin
coin, and this man, above all others.
should have a memorial erected to him
| here. If should be in favor Of a high
way for memorial il should lie between
Washington and Richmond-the cities
which. but for Lincoln, would be the
two capitols of two nations"
Mr.. Mccall said that when he was chair
| man OF the committee on library he had
studied the question of a Lincoln me-
mortal in the Capitol building, but that
! this seemed not to be feasible because it
would be overshadowed by the Capitol
building itself. He said his committee had
the best expert advice in the world on
this subject. and paid a glowing tribute
to Burnham. Millet. Olmstead and D. G..
French. who he said represented all
branches of art and who had reported
in favor of a memorial on the banks of
the Potomac. on the other side of which
rises the Lee mansion.
INDUCES in Sarcasm.
Mr.. Mccall was sarcastic in his con-
temptation of those who cannot look upon
any memorial with favor unless it has
some unitarian element connected with
it..
There are men," said he who regard
the labor OF carving an Apollo or a
Venus as lost. as that same labor could
be used to erect some howell to shelter a
human head. These are the men who be-
lieve that when the artist spreads i'm
mortal colors upon his canvas he is vast
ing his time. They have but one idea,
that of efficiency: and while efficiency is
great II carried to the ultimate limit. it
would cover the world with skyscrapers
and fill the air with clanking machinery.
Perhaps We would produce more, but we
would be race of dwarfs.
Mr. Mccall contrasted the flowers of
architecture with the practical ideas OF
efficiency and then went on to say:
What shall We erect as memorial
| for this great man? Shall it be a
Gothic chapel. a Turkish mosque, a
Greek temple or an American sky
scraper? Who can be put ahead of the
Greeks? What marbles are better
| carved than those Of Phidias, and VIVA
poems are sweeter than those of Homer
or Pindar? We are enthralled in won
der before Greek architecture. There
| is nothing more wonderful than the
Greek columns. The architecture of a
Greek temple bespeaks simplicity.
| beauty and strength. and these are the
elements so strongly predominant In
ILincolns character
This memorial as 1t Is now planned
would await time to be paralleled"
Resolution Of Disapproval.
Applause greeted his remarks as he sat
down. and Representative Borland of
Missouri. leader Of the opposition to the
Potomac Park plan. Immediately intro
| duced a resolution disappearing of the
| scheme and ordering favorable report
on q highway.
Representative Sherwood Of Ohio.
| speaking In opposition to the Potomac
Park site-and. in fact. to any memorial
| Of architectural beauty-gave as his mi
tial argument against the fine art COM
| mission report that Lincoln would not
care for q fantastic Greek temple" in
| asmuch as Lincoln himself had no knowl-
edge of the Greek alphabet.
II would vote for a monument with
ideas In IT." said Mr.. Sherwood. lone