Evening star., 1922-02-03
WILL PAY LINCOLN
HIGHEST OF HONORS
Three Presidents to Take
Leading Parts on May 80 at
Memorial Dedication.

Further arrangements for the selec-
ton Of a program for the Lincoln
Memorial dedication to be held Mem
orial day, May 80. have been left in
the hands of Chief Justice Taft, chair
man, and John Temple Graves, resi-
dent commissioner of the Lincoln
Memorial Commission. The agree
ment as to the date of dedication was
reached at meeting of four of the
six members of the commission, held
in Representative Cannon's office in
the Capitol last Saturday. Those in
attendance were Chairman Taft, Rep
resentative Cannon. Samuel w. Mccall.
former Governor OF Massachusetts,,
and Resident Commissioner John
bers, Thomas r. Marshall and Nathan
B. Scott, were unable to attend. In
addition to the members. Henry
Bacon Of New York. achitect of the
memorial; Col. Clarence o. Sheriff.,
executive and disbursing officer, and
Henry A. Vale, the secretary, were
also present.
After it had been decided by the
commissioners that President Hard
ing. former President Wilson and Mr..
Taft should make brief addresses at
the exercises. Chairman Taft eX-
pressed the opinion that 1t would.
indeed. be appropriate for the three
remaining Presidents to unite In pay
ing tribute to him who was the great.
est of Presidents" This feature or
the program-the addresses OF three
Presidents-is unprecedented in the
history of the United States, 1t is said
Chief Justice Taft has been selected
to deliver the address OF presentation
and 1t is believed President Harding
will accept the memorial on behal!
Of the government OF the ohl'eo
States and respond accordingly.
Greatest Tribute Yet Planned.
The commission is confident that
the ceremonies will surpass all others
in tribute to q national hero. The
occasion will be even greater than
that attending the dedication or the
Washington Monument. for the rea-
son. among other things, the I'M,
proved transportation faculties VIII
make possible a greater attendance.
AS the ceremonies are coinc'dent
with those held on Memor!:. day by
the Grand Army of the Republic. the
commission is arranging schedule
for the day whereby the usual cere.
monies at Arlington will be confined
to the morning and forenoon, s",,l leaving a tg
the Lincoln Memorial exercises. The
Grand Army will also have a part In
the exercises. 1t was pointed out, al
though, as in the case OF all other
contributors to the program, their
share will be brief.
The commission has under consid-
Grafton the selection of poem on the
great emancipator out OF the hun
dreds that have poured into the COM
mission, to be read at the exercises.
This, however, has not been definitely
decided upon.
Grounds VIII BE Ready.
Col. Sheriff., in charge Of public
buildings and grounds and executive
and disbursing officer of the commits
sion, reported at the meeting that de-
tailed improvements, confined to the
terraces and adjacent territory. were
being rapidly cleared up and that by
May % all final details will have been
completed. The. commission then au-
thorized Col. Sheriff. to continue work
on the remaining unfinished details.
Col. Sherrilrs report, however, did
not include the lagoon, which will not
be completed until next fall. Ar
rangements will be made, neverthe-
less, to have the lagoon present as
been definitely decided that water
will be run into it for the occasion.
Commissioner Graves said that the
commission decided to hold the exer-
cises despite the incompleteness of
this part of the memorial, for If they
held over until fall in all probability
Congress would not be in session. In
this event the dedication would pos
sibly be delayed until the following
spring. The commission is desirous
Of holding the exercises while Con-
gress is in session, as it was that
body's authorization and appropria-
tion that made the shrine possible.
Between June and October of last
year $4,000 people visited the me-
mortal, the commission announced.