Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-05-15
GEORGE
is PLANNED
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Haskin

Can you not imagine" said the
admiral, 1.-THE children, the grand
children and the great-grandchil-
dren of the Great War making
Washington a mecca to visit. to look
for their ancestors star. i am a
great believer in tradition. for 1t is
only in the contemplation OF great
and noble deeds in the past that we
are led to the same in the present
and the future"
Around the auditorium are to be
a great many rooms, all dedicated
to patriotic and national uses. On
the first floor there will be smaller
meeting halls and two museums
which will contain collections of
war trophies and relics. documents,
uniforms, guns and souvenirs OF
famous men.
The second floor is to have a large
banquet hall where state banquets
can be held and distinguished
statesmen entertained. There will
also be reception rooms and a long
row of rooms where patriotic socie-
ties will establish permanent head
quarters. Such organizations as the
Colonial Danes, Sons of Veterans,
and Daughters of 1872 are to make
use of these rooms, and some socie-
ties have already set aside funds 10
furnish and maintain rooms here.
Above, on the third floor rooms
are to be reserved for each of the
states and territories. to be furnish
ed by them and used for state So
cieties and other state purposes.
The fourth floor is arranged in more
offices for patriotic and national
societies.
A Long Felt Need
The need for this type of public
buildings has long been apparent.
Members Of the patriotic societies
come to Washington at times for
conventions, to promote special
legislation, to consult government
records, and TO use the fine genoa
logical collection at the Library of
Congress. But most II the socie-
ties have no headquarters, no spe-
cial place where members can get
information, or hold meetings.
Worst of all, Washington lacks a
suitable auditorium for meetings of
large, important bodies.
1t was because a patriotic build
ing'' was needed and because II
seemed to fulfill. in spirit at least,
the almost forgotten desire express
ed in Washington's will, that the
George Washington Memorial took
this form.
The first President had a long
cherished dream of a national uni
vefsity TO stimulate high ideals in
the youth of the land. In his last
message to congress he urged that
body to promote institutions for the
dissemination of learning. In his
| will he said he regretted that Amer
lean students should go to other
countries to receive higher learning
and foreign ideas at an impression
able age when they should be i'm
billing the principles of patriotism.
He expressed an ardent wish that
there should be founded a national
university free. as far as reasonable,
from local attachments and state
prejudices. and he left $4,000 Ia
establish that university.
The $4,000 bequest mysteriously
disappeared, some say through
failure and reorganization of the
Potomac Company in which the
bonds were invested. 1t has also
been said that the money lapsed
back into the estate. Attempts OF
the Treasury Department some
years & to trace the money were
futile. Invested at compound inter
est, the bequest would now amount
to more than $4.000.000, but it has
permanently vanished.
Interpreting Washington's Wishes
Congress has at intervals discuss.
ed the establishment of a national
university, and the tendency now il
toward a very learned institution fol
the scientists and scholars OF ths
country-not exactly Washington
idea, but a school for the scholars
is more needed now than another
flapper college.
The George Washington Memoria
Association, started in 1898, hai
like congress been trying to carr,
out Washington's wish. 1t approach
es the matter from another angle
Some years ago 1t decided, as con
gress did. that a broad view o
Washington's desire might well b
taken. Mrs. II. +. Dimock, presi
dent of the association. suggeste,
that the erection of a great nationa
auditorium and headquarters wher
patriotism could be inspired an,
fostered would surely meet with tn
approval of Washington. since HI
aim in establishing a national uni
versity was to promote patriotism.
Three presidents. Taft, Wilsol
land Harding, have tndorged II