The sun., 1919-07-16
LONDON TO REBUILD
AS WAR MEMORIAL
New City in Westminster Pro-
posed to Perpetuate En-
pire's Part.

Special Correspondence TO THE Srs.
LONDON, June 30.-Town planning as a
means of commemoratlng the great war
and the men who fell In 1t Is being
seriously considered Two schemes are
being advocated by the artistic world
OF London. One provides for the erec-
ton OF a new city in Westminster. with
a memorial bridge at Lambeth. and the
other would give to London a new ar
tistic bridge at Charing Cross to replace
the unsightly railway bridge which
spoils the beauty OF the Embankment.
The latter proposal. which has been
suggested many times before. has been
given a new lease Of life by the declara-
ton OF the members of the Royal Acad-
envy that they recommend its adoption.
The academy favors a great road. with
a memorial arch and place at Charing
Cross. This would be a national and
imperial memorial. Just as Waterloo
Bridge. Trafalgar Square and Waterloo
place were the mementos of the great
wars of the last century.
The Westminster scheme has been
worked out in remarkable detail, and
the first site may be proclaimed when
the pageant of boats takes place on the
Thames In celebration OF the war
achievement of the mercantile marine.
II is suggested that a landing party may
be instructed to climb the Albert EN-
bankment, assemble outside Lambeth
Palace and there dedicate site for
monument. Such memorial would be
on the Lambeth side OF the Empire War
Memorial Bridge that Is also proposed
and would have facing II on the other
side OF the river a memorial with which
Il Is intended to commemorate the ex-
ploits of the British navy.
The new bridge, designed to take the
place of the old Lambeth suspension
bridge, Is an essential part OF Major
Pawley's scheme for the creation of
new city in Westminster as an Imperial
war memorial.
The Empire War Memorial League
will consider the ACCESSIBILITY of seeking
the cooperation OF the London County
Council and the Royal Academy Me-
mortal Committee in opening a competi-
ton for architects and sculptors for the
design of this bridge and the monuments.
The proposal Is that a certain number
Of artists shall be selected to compete In
the final competition. and that they
should receive monetary assistance ade-
quate to the preparation of their de-
signs and models. The suggested sum Is
$4,000.
Apart from the monuments and the
bridge the scheme entails the creation Of
a new London main road from Victoria
station to London Bridge. and the es-
tablishment near the historical Westmin-
ster Abbey OF a centre of science, art
and learning To carry out this idea
wide avenues and streets will be laid out
and great piaZZas or circuses opened up
adorned with monuments dedicated to
the achievements of the fighting forces
OF the empire or her Allies. One Of the
outstanding features il the erection Of
new buildings for the University Of Lon
don with a river frontage Of 800 feet.
In this new city II is proposed to
provide n theatre dedicated to Shake
speare and specially designed for the
performance of his plays and other
classics OF drama. q noble hall for the
presentation of the great masterpieces
Of music and a great gallery worthy Of
contemporary art. The designs Of these
buildings are already completed.
Empire avenue will run from the
Memorial Bridge to Victoria, having at
one end Place Verdun and at the other
the naval monument. and In the centre,
a. Place Mons the army memorial. Two
wide streets shown in the plan are
Australian Way and Canadian Way,
While Vauxhall Bridge road becomes Co.
lumbia Way In honor of the United
States part in the war. Every building
in these roads is to be constructed OF
Portland stone.