New-York tribune., 1919-10-20


Architects design of open Greek amph
cent. The watchword for these dis
trlcts is quotation from Colonel
Roosevelt's last book:
I'VE must be Americans and nothing
but Americans"
Negroes in all sections of greater
New York are also working diligently
to make Roosevelt Week success
Exhibit Of Rooseveltianas
Hundreds of books, autographed let
ters, photographs and personal docu-
ments will be displayed in the Fifth
Avenue exhibit of Rooseveltiana This
work IS being done under the direction
: Of the Museums and Collections Com
mittee OF the Roosevelt Memorial As
sociation
Saturday there will be a Roosevelt
meeting at the New York Public
Library. at which brief addresses will
be made by personal friends of the
Colonel. Next Monday evening there
will be a memorial meeting at the
American Museum of Natural History.
at which Carl Akeley and others will
give personal "reminiscences of Colonel
AeOOSeNSit AT CLOSE range.
Tomorrow at II o'clock the Roose-
welt memorial flag will be taken to
) the Hall of Fame of New York Univer-
sity, where it will be received by Chan
cellor Elmer Brown and the faculty of
the university.
On the arrival Of the flag at Van
Cortlandt Park from Yonkers it will be
received by Borough President Bruck-
ner and a committee headed by DR..
William I. Hornaday 1t will be taken
, to various places throughout the city,
remaining here until Monday, when it
will be transferred to Oyster Bay.
The Oyster Bay Memorial
The character of the Oyster Bay
memorial has been decided upon, leav-
: ing that at Washington yet to be de-
termined by architects, sculptors and
} artists whose task it will be to devise
monument as imposing though not
resembling the vast Lincoln Memorial.
AT Oyster Bay park Of forty acres
already has been selected, and while
titles are being passed farmers
contribute elms which will be re-
planted about Greek amphitheater to
be known as the Roosevelt Forum.
: Electus y. Litchfeld, the architect
r who designed the Mckinley monument
at Columbus, Ohio, has been engaged
by the Oyster Bay committee to carry
\ out plans for the park and amphithea-
ter. He lives at Oyster Bay 4 is
familiar with the site upon which it
| is proposed to erect the forum.
The idea of William Loeb, jr., chair
| man of the Roosevelt memorial COM
| nittee at Oyster Bay, and other mem
bers of the committee is to have a
| park that will provide in the best
and most healthful way amusement
facilities for the country at large: a
park that will have an individuality
and atmosphere suggestive of the life
and spirit of Roosevelt. The Colonel
was practical man who combined
artistic ideas with common sense ex-
ecution, and the Roosevelt Memorial
Association does not want park that
would not have met with the approval
Of the Colonel himself. As matter
Of fact. Colonel Roosevelt himself very
much desired such park at Oyster
Bay and publicly expressed his view
on the subject.
Great Natural Beauty
The site of the memorial park is OF
great natural beauty. The ensemble
effect Of the park will be somewhat
similar to the beautiful park at Yer
sailles near Paris, but it will be typ
ically American in spirit and concep-
4 tlOti mere VIII DC no hLLeNpL on
the part of the architect to initiate
the Versailles scheme The proposed
lagoon will look like diamond set
| in green jade, and through fringe
| of elm trees the spectator will get a
glimpse Of the Roosevelt Forum Over
all will wave the Stars and Stripes
that the Colonel loved so we'll In
every way the aim will be to suggest
the virile personality of the man who
II
| American.
| Describing his ideas with reference
to the open-ar theatre, Mr.. Litchfiet
said:
"At the head Of the auditorium there
would be rostrum backed by simple
dignifed structure, having its wes
| front built somewhat in the form of
stage upon which may be seated
the performers at open-air con
! certs. Within it's walls, had
| hoped there might be a reception
| room, together with small hall, some
what in the nature Of Supreme Cour
room in the Capitol at Washington
| where would be gathered, from time tx
time, once every two or three years
l or two or three times a year, as in thu
| opnion Of the trustees Of the Roosevelt
] Forum the occasion may require, few
| of the great men Of the country, wh'
| shall there discuss before the who'll
| nation, the grave questions affectin,
the future of America"
Great Fiagpole Is Planned
Speaking of the general plan, Mr.
Ltchfeld continued:
"On the axis of the main approach
standing out in firm silhouette agains
the background Of the bay and th'
distant hills Of Centre Island, shoult
be a great fagpolc with a monumen
tai base which will be forever REM
nisccnt Of the Colonel's intense low
for the American flag. At the end o
the lagoon there should be n foun
tain and beyond it a long approach
from the west between thickly plants'
native American shrubs and low grow
ing trees; laurel. wild honeysuckle
dogwood, beech and ash forming
dense dark foliage in contrast to tn
gravel walks, the reflection of the SIX,
! in the lagoon and the bright deep blu
Of the bay itself"
Throughout the city during the wee
public and private institutions will con
duct exhibitions illustrating the many
sidedness Of Colonel Roosevelt. Ar
galleries and private owners will dis
4 kok orbo I,,t