New-York tribune., 1919-02-10
Citizens in Doubt Whether
Proposed War Memorial
Will Ever Be Constructed
MIR. Riegelmann Is Silent
Hylan Aid Fails to Answer
Letters; Will Meet To-day
With Chairman Delaney

and the Hearst papers in the affairs
of the Brooklyn Victory Celebration
Committee has left the borough
without definite assurances that the
proposed permanent memorial will
ever rise.
The silence Of Borough President
Riegelmann and his failure to answer
letters from Rrooklyn's foremost cit
izens directly interested in the plans
of the Victory Committee have left
the whole project in suspense, accord
ing to some prominent men who late
ly resigned because of the restriction
of action due to politics.
Alfred c. Bedford, chairman of the
Board Of Directors of the Standard Oil
Company Of New Jersey; James II. Post,
president Of the American Sugar Re-
fining Company, and Andrew D. Baird,
president of the Williamsburg Saw
ings Bank, each a financial power in
the borough and former member of
the committee on a permanent memo
rial, did not know last night whether
their resi- ignations had been accepted
Riegelmann and Delaney to Confer
They were sent to Riegelmann last
Wednesday attached to joint letter
in which ten of the eleven members of
the committee resigned. The eleventh
member followed the next day. The
Borough President will meet to-day
with Representative John J. Delaney,
chairman of the committee, and after
this meeting the members who have
resigned hope to hear from either
Riegelmann or Chairman Delaney
Mr.. Bedford was strongly in favor
of the erection of suitable memorial.
He said: The whole affair is very
regrettable incident. l think Brooklyn
ought to have suitable permanent
memoria, and that the committee in
trusted with the collection of the
amount necessary to build it ought Ger
tainly to have the confidence of the
people or they would not raise the
money"
Temporary abandonment of the pro-
ject was suggested by Mr. Bedford, at
least during the political regime now
threatening the committee. He de-
clared that the collection of the money
would require perhaps two or three
months of effort and that the success
OF the project would depend largely on
tions.
Post Prefers to Wait
81 have not heard from Mr. Riegel-
mann and none of US knows at this
time whether our designations have
been accepted" Mr.. Post said. II
would not at this particular time favor
the organization OF an Independent
committee. would rather. wait and
see what developments follow the
meeting to-day" Mr. Post said it
might be possible to raise the money
for permanent memorial through the
efforts Of those left on the Victory
Committee. 81 know of no estimated
cost for the memorial, though it would
require at least $50o,oo0 for suitable
building. 1t would take a few months
to raise the fund.-" he said.
Mr.. Post. who was on the stake at
the victory celebration held in the
Academy OF Music, acting as chair
man, witnessed the unsuccessful at
tempt made by Hearst adherents to
break up the meeting. He said he
had heard of no definite plans con
cerning the memorial and was of the
opinion that it might we'll be post
poned for while. ~ am willing to
do anything ! can to help" Mr. Post
added
W anus lr01ect carried Out
Mr.. Baird admitted that he was in
the same position as the others who
had left the committee. 81 have not
heard thing" he said. He strongly
urged that the memorial structure
project be carried out, and of its pres
ent status, he declared that nothing
had been done that he knew of.
Victor A. Iersher, weep president
of the Williamsburg Savings Bank, and
a strong supporter of Nathan S. Jonas,
former chairman, is likewise looking
for a letter from the borough presi-
dent concerning the disposal of the
$4,000 which Mr.. Jonas and his COM
mittee raised before poliics checked
their activities.
1t was generally believed that the
entire amount to be raised by the Vic
tory Committee would total $1,0O0.O00
Plans were forming for the collection
of about $3.50 900 of this sum by popu-
lar subscription, and it was said that
the remaining sum would probably be
raised through the cfforts'of Brooklyns s
rubljc-spirite citizens and philanthro-
pists.
Offerings Show Falling off
Most of the men and women com
prising this wealthy group, however,
have left the committee The daily
grist of offerings from the general pub
lie has even fallen far below the aver
age during the Jonas Craftsmanship.
Chairman Delaney will not only face
the problem of the permanent me-
mortal committee appointments. but the
public is keenly interested in the man
chosen to head the Committee on Pa
rades and Decorations, from which Ar
thur j. Okeeffe recently resigned.
The outcome of to-day's meeting,
with Riegclmann, Delaney and the re-
naming seven on the executive COM
mlttce, will work virtual reorganiza-
tion of the Victory Committee. There
are eighteen members to appoint on the
executive committee, eleven to select for
the permanent memorial committee.
which involves the difficult matter of OBJ
tanning the major part of the contribu-
tions, and the appointment of chair
ren to the finance and music commit
tees.
RiegeLnlann Called
Trucker to Hearst;