The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-01-20
barometer of Public Opinion
Thc eoIdicr.' Memorial.


~ one 'h'l "lI express in i's columns things
things about which the public should know
hence mo following.
You mo- doubt ARE aware Of tho fact that the
stat" has appropriated $500 200 to be expended
Tor STATE memorial 10 our dead heroes. 20 be
erected Zoe oklahoma city. uc,r the state. capitol
building commission OF five has been app
"oluf"d 'o d"'oJmluo the nature ~ tho memoir
inl and s"lcct the architect This is all very
nice. and good start Uut lf soous that the
commission has been n' % loss, as 20 how 10
proceed In determining the nature " the
me" "rnl ana selecting the architect Instead
" giving this matter the proper publicity
through the various papers OF the state. they
hnvC made 10 purely local proposition (Okla-
homt Ciiy) ana selected local architects who
arc not members Of tho American legion. ana
have not seen service. II seems that at least
architects would have boen called upon who
are legion men. and that there rs other talent
In the state b"sidcs that In oklahoma city II
also seems thai politics has crebt IN and dictated
to the commission as has been true OF an other
commissions and committees in whose care has
been entrusted the erection OF our state build
ings including the capitol building.
n We expect any great work OF art in this
state, politics must be eliminated This can be
done In the same manner that our government
In Washington handles the selection OF archi-
t"cts Tor It's public buildings, and that Is to
institute competition among architects accord
ing to the rules and regulations Of IN" American
institute OF architects. The first thing to be
done Is for the commission 10 select at least
three nationally known architects to constitute
an advisory board who will confer with tho
memorial. ana write the program for the com
petition then allowing the architects Of the
state to compete thus giving them all an equal
chance. whether legion men or men who have
not seen service, and the advantage ~ bringing
Of the best talent The above advisory hoard
10 be retained as jury Of award. who will care
fully look over the designs submitted ard select
the winner OF the competition. In this manner
only we hope TO get real work OF art.
II seems that the commission has not decided
whether the memorial shall be I'm the form OF
a trlumphal arch on a building Of a utlitarian
"a " RT m mr. tor
properly cmhelllsheG with sculpture, can more
truly be expressed the true sentiment Of the
people and the purpose OF the memorial as
well as afford greater originality In design and
show that We are not mere Copyists. The arches
Of Rome have been copied time and again and
in good many cases look Ike sections or
Roman aQucducts. II Is understood that an
eastern sculptor who happens to be a friend Of
member Of the commission has advised the
erection OF an arch. This IL quite natural. as
ne expects to do the sculpture which means
that about 500 600 or more viii go 10 him
and incidentally out Of the state, OF which the
state reaps no benefit why not erect a build
ing OF marble or stone and keep this money in
the stntcP There are some II or II states who
have hirendv decided to erect memorial oul,d-
lngs near the state capitol These are: Ala
bama. Delaware. Illinois. Iowa, Minn"so'o
Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, North
Dakota, south Carolina, South Dakota Tennes-
see California. Colorado, Connecticut. that nave
an appropriated half "A million dollars or more
In connection with competitions. | might call
YOUR attention to the most ambitious OF the
nnflonal memorials proposed to date Is the Ma
tIonal Victory Mem morlal building to he erected
I'm Washington by the George Washington asso-
citation under the authorization Of an act or
congress, The building is to cost sl000O0o0.
The design OF the memorial was selected after
competition among notable architects. mem
tion this merely to show that the government
realizes In above manner, or by competition only,
can we get real art In our public buildings
It will he appreciated II YOU VIII publish THIS
In a prominent place I'm your publication, as II
Is only through tho assistance and the support
Of the press that We can bring pressure to bear
on this commission to erect the proper kind
OF memorial and real work OF art. and in
cldgntally "a square deal Tor the people who
wifi pay for II. -
A MEMBER or THE AMERICAN LEGION,