Evening star., 1921-11-13
President to Lay Corner
Stoneof Victory Memorial
Tomorrow Afternoon.
SEATS FOR 1900 GUESTS
Pershing and Coontz Will Also
Speak-States Active in Rails.
ing Huge Fund.

from the time of Washington down.
This shrine to American valor. designed
to surpass all memorial structures, will
be known as the National Victory
Memorial building. 1t will be con-
structsd on a site provided by Congress.
at 9Th and B streets northwest
To Use Washington's GaveL
Secretary Of War Weeks will pre-
side at the ceremonies President
Harding, in laying the corner stone
will use the gavel that was employed
by George Washington in laying the
corner stone Of the Capitol, September
Is. 1893.
Besides the principal address to be
delivered by the President. addresses
will be made by Gen. Pershing and Ad-
miral Robert e. Coontx. Members Of
the arms par'ey delegations and high
officials Of the United States govern
nent will witness the exercises.
Seats have been provided for 1900
special guests. For the general public
practically unlimited standing space will
be available.
Bishop Harding to Take Part.
Mrs. Henry F. Dimock. president
of the George Washington Memorial
which has carried the
project to Its present state
Of development, announced yesterday
afternoon the completed program for
the event. In arranging the program.
Mrs. Dimock was assisted by Col
Clarence o. Sheriff., aide to the Presi-
dent and officer in charge Of public
buildings and grounds. through whose
ONCE Official invitations to the exer-
cises were issued and preparations
made for seating the guests and pro-
viding the decorations and music.
Rt Rev. Alfred Harding. Bishop of
washington. will deliver the invo-
cation opening the exercises, and i'm
following the President
will be introduced.
In the cornerstone box will be
placed by the President articles of
historic interest. including brick
from the house in which Washington
was born and a picture of the gavel
that once was the property of the
also will be placed in this miniature
receptacle for keeping through the
centuries a certified copy of George
washihgton's will, q portrait of
Washington, copies OF the Declaration
of independence and of the Conslitu-
tion Of the United States. history Of
the George Washington Memorial As
sociation, statistics Of the world war,
program for the exercises Of the un-
known dead. a program of the corner
stone laying exercises for the Ma
tionaI Victory Memorial building,
Rible presented by Mrs. Frederick +.
THOMPSON of New York city. and an
American flag.
Replica to Picture Tribute.
While the President is speaking
there will repose on a table in front
NJ him miniature replica Of the Ma
tional Victory Memorial building,
while souvenir programs to be given
the guests will contain exterior and
interior illustrations Of the structure
that is to be Americas expression OF
gratitude for all time for the deeds OF
her heroic dead.
Music will be provided by the Ma
rine Band and at the conclusion OF
the ceremony the assemblage will be
dismissed with a benediction to be
delivered by Rt. Rev. Mgr c. F.
Thomas. d. D., rector Of st. Patrick's
Church.
washington's gavel will be pre-
sented to tho President for use at the
ceremony by a committee from Poto-
mac Lodge, No. s. F. A. A. NJ. COM
nosed of A. X. Reynolds, Grover e.
Payne and W. J. Loveless. The gavel
has been the property of the lodge
since shortly after the Capitol was
started. 1t has been used on public
occasions by former Presidents Polk,
Fillmore, Buchanan, Mckinley, Roose-
welt and Taft.
Triumph for Mrs. Dimock.
The laying Of the corner stone for
the memorial building will constitute
a personal triumph Aot AHhs' 1Aehiy z.
Dimock, for it has been due to her ef-
forts almost entirely that the project
has grown in spite Of many discour-
aeements. Originally, the plans were
rot so elaborate.
After the world war Mrs. Dimoch
decided the scheme should be enlarged
40 as to provide a suitable tribute not
only to the heroes Of the time of
Washington and Lincoln. but to the
4.ooo, 900 sons and daughters Of the
republic who answered theiN countrys
call in the late war.
Architects submitted a design call
ing for. the construction Of dome in
which could be set four million stars,
each to be engraved with the initials
Of an American soldier. This plan at
once suggested method by which
the entire enterprise might be
financed. 1t was decided to insert
gold stars for those who gave their
lives in the war with the central
powers and ask state legislatures to
pdy for the memorial emblems at the
rate of $ioo each. Blue stars, for
those who were not called upon to