Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-24

To the Editor of The Times Dispntch
Sill lind it stated IN the last
printed report Of the president OF the
Association for the Preservation Of
, Virginia Antiquities that the Society
Of Colonial DANES. supported by the
association. designs. after the close Of
the European war. to erect II granite
monument on Blackwell! Pier. in East
, London. to commemorate the voyagers
OF lG06.
In the early summer Of 1914. n, the
request Of committee, appointed in
part at least. believe. by the asso-
citation. | visited the pier in the COM
pany Of the borough engineer. The
impression left on my mind was that
In all England so far az knew It,
there did not exist a noblcr site for
AN imposing monument than this pier
which is really more OF spacious
eSpianade than quay, for 1T Is no
longer used In the latter character.
Just at this point. the magnificent
! Thames, which here resembles an
estuary OF the sea, makes an enormous
bend. Down the river. Woolwich Is to
he seen In thc distance: UP til" river
Deptford: whilc the vast city Of Lon
don nils in tho background with roofs
ana chimncys, stccpleS and towers. from
horizon to horizon. Immediately across
tn" Thames, Oh tho south bank lie the
green slopes OF Greenwich, the birth
place Of Elizabeth, who gave Virginia
its name. The entire bosom OF tho
broad stream. as far as the eve can
reach, is covered with such "A forest
OF masts and tunnels as to make this
cNpanse Of water the most crowded
port in the world Millions Of persons
from every quarter of the globe mass
up and down. In all sorts or VESSELS.
IN the course Of year. \ more splcn.
did or more animated panorama is
NOT 10 he found on the surface Of the
earth.
Were granite shaft. such as un-
aersthnd the patriotic societies have
In view. placed on tho pier confront
Ing this magnificent outlook. II would
attract no general attention whatever
not from the land, since the pier 10
backed by labyrinth OF docks. and Is
too shut-ln on that side to he visited
By many strangers Interested in his
torical monuments: not/from the river.
for a simple shaft would lie almos, i'm
htstingushabic against that immense
and confused background OF stone and
brick walls.
My own conclusion formed on tho
pier itself and shared by the trained
oHicial who accompanied me, was that
Nhc only appropriate monument for n
site of such incorporate. grandeur
would he an Elizabethau figure OF
bronze of heroic size standing upon n
lofty pedestal of Virginia era nite and
directly facing the mighty river that
for centuries has been England,s prin-
cipal highway to the seven seas Such
a statue would he a conspicuous on
1ect to the myriads voyagine on the
Thames; would excite curious inouirv
at once, and would soon become one OF,
the most famous landmarks OF the
Kingdom.
1t Is n statue like this which pre.
nh 80
Cook. the explorer. In ST. James Park
IL Is just such Il statue NJ this too
which, on Jamestown Island to-day,
presents. in the absolute yeristn,Ili
tdde OF life. John Smith. the heroic
pioneer and empire builder. I cannot
assert with too much emphasis that IL
II memorial IL to lie raised at Blackwal
It's dignity should be IN proportion 10
the maSniiicencc Of the site and tn.
grandeur of the event to which IL will
point \ granite shaft, however pre-
tentious Us inscription, would belittle
both and excite in English observers
rdicule or our artistic culture
| have considered II n patriotic duty
10 protest in this public way against
the possible misuse of the most appro-
pirate spot on earth on which to pro-
claim to the world in lasting bronze
the supreme part which our forefath-
English colonization and in the set
Element OF this continent. The funds
for the erection Of an imposing statue
such as have suggested. which have
reason to know would ne acceptable TO
tho port authority OF London. can be
gradually accumulated by our patri-
otic societies, with the assistance OF
the state and persons Of wealth
We have waited 400 years before We
have even considered the erection Of
such n memorial. and we can still wait
until we have gathered together such
n sum as will enable us to raise a mon
ument that viii crafty the pride not
only Of every NirGinian, bnt of every
American also. and become ut once the
common possession OF our whole coun-
try and tho entire Anglo Saxon race
PHILIP ALEXANDER BRUCE
I Norfolk. January 90.