Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-30
President and Two Former
Presidents to Take Part in
Ceremonies Planned for
Memorial Day
BY RALPH BURTON
Heased Wire Service to The JournaI.l
Copyright, 1927

copyright, 1927
WASHINGTON. May 27.-lsolar-
ed, distinguished and serene the
completed memorial to Abraham
Lincoln in the national capital Will
be dedicated on Memorial day. Re-
mote from the business and turmoil
of the city, surrounded by a land
scape accentuating it's prominence,
it fittingly signifies the eminent and
isolated position Lincoln occupies IN
history.
The president of the United States
and two former presidents will as
s:st in paying tribute to the man
at the dedication ceremonies. Chlef
Justice Taft will preside. President
Harding will deliver the main ad-
dress. Former President Wilson has
expressed his intention Of attending
the dedication.
For the first time the public will
be given an opportunity to see the
memorial and observe it's grandeur
in it's completed form. Nature has
been assisting in making ready Tor
the dedication and the great plant
ing plan adopted for the landscape
setting has been completed as far as
possible, together with the grading
and construction of roads and walks.
The great reflecting basin, 1000
feet long and 200 feet wide, will
contain water on the day Of the dedl-
cation, and visitors will be enabled
to see the reflection in the basin OF
the Washington monument. This
reflection was deliberately planned,
to express an idea, bringing togeth-
err in the minds of those who view
the scene, images of the two greatest
Americans. Washington and Lincoln.
For ten years the people have
watched the massive structure slow
ly rising, like classic Greek tenn
pie, symbolic in it's strength and
dignity. Those who remained of the
original Lincoln memorial commits
sion, created by an act of congress
over twenty years ago, will take
part in the ceremonial of dedication.
They are William H. Taft, Joseph
G. Cannon, of Illinois, and Samuel
w. Mccall, of Massachusetts,. OF
the original seven members of the
commission, those three are left. The
others dropped out when they failed
to return to congress, and one,
Champ Clark, was called by death.
Added to the original three MEM
bers from time to time were Thomas
r. Marshall, Nathan B. Scott, Colonel
John Temple Graves, Henry A. Vale
and Lieutenant Colonel G. o. Sher-
ill.
Son To Be Present
The son of the great president,
Robert Lincoln, will occupy a seat
of honor on the platform along with
Henry Bacon, the architect of the
memorial; Daniel French, the sculp-
tor, and Jules Guerin, the artist.
"Uncle Joe" Cannon will be one
of the most interesting figures at
the dedication. He is completing
fifty years service as a member of
the house of representatives and was
present at the convention that NOM
mated Abraham Lincoln for presi-
dent in 1860.
There also will be present Ma
jor George w. Evans, chief disburs-
ing officer of the interior depart.
ment, who was appointed messen-
ger by President Lincoln when a
boy of IA years of age, and has serv-
ed continuously in that department.
The Rev. Wallace Radcliff, pastor
of the New York Avenue Presbyte-
rian church, where Lincoln attended
services and where the Lincoln
pew" is preserved will make the
invocation, following which will be
the presentation of the colors by the
Grand Army of the Republic. An
address Will then be delivered by
Robert r. Motion, of the Tuskegee
institute, who will speak on behalf
of the colored race.
Chief Justice Taft will present the
memorial and it will be accepted by
President Harding in behalf of the
government of the United States.
Among the guests will be mem
bers of the diplomatic corps, Off
Gals of the United States and dis
tinguished citizens. The members Of
the United States senate and of the
house, it is expected will attend in
a body.
Description Of Memorial
The architect, Henry Bacon, has
described the Lincoln memorial in
these words: ION the great axis,
planned over century ago, we have
at one end the capitol, which is the
monument of the government, and to
the west, over a mile distant from
the capitol, is the monument to
Washington, one of the founders of
the government. The Lincoln me-
mortal, buitl on the same axis, still
farther to the west, by the shore
of the Potomac, is the monument to
the man who saved the government,
thus completing unparalleled compo-
sition which cannot fail to impart
to each of it's monuments a value
in addition to which each standing
alone would possess.
From the beginning of my study
I believed that this memorial to
Lincoln should be composed of four
features, a statue of the man, a
memorial of his Gettysburg speech,
a memorial of his second inaugu-
raj address and a symbol of the
union of the United States, which
he stated it was his paramount OBJ
ject to save, and which he did save"
The most important object is the
statue of Lincoln which is placed in
the center of the memorial express
ing the gentleness, power and in
telligence of the man.
This portion of the memorial
where the statue is placed is I'M
occupied by any other object that
might detract from it's effectiveness
and the visitor is alone with it. The
smaller halls at each side of the CEN
trail space each connect a memorial
one of the second inaugural ad-
dresses and the other of the Gettys-
burg speech.
II believe" said the architect,
"these two great speeches made by
Lincoln will always have a far
greater meaning to the citizens of
the United States and visitors from
other countries than a portrayal of
periods or events by means of dec