The Washington times., 1923-05-18
Harding to Boston
Medal on Great
Architect
by JEAN ELIOT.

" he President and Mrs. Hard
ing and presumably their
guests, Ambassador and
Mrs. George Harvey, will attend
the ceremonial pageant at the
Lincoln Memorial tonight, Presi.
dent Harding having consented
to bestow the gold medal Of the
American Institute of Architects
upon Henry Bacon, architect of
the great memorial. The presenta.
ton OF this award Is being made
the occasion OF an artistic demon
stTation.
Leaders of the official and diplo.
matte world will assemble for the
ceremony, which will have noble
and spacious setting. The general
scheme of the pageant calls for an
imposing procession of architects,
painters, sculptors, landscape
architects. engineers, civil, electri-
cal, mechanical and consulting; the
building trades and crafts, the
architectural schools and clubs,
the manufacturers of building ma.
terials, the building contractors,
structural Mteel erectors, and rep
resentatives Of the American Fed
GRAFTON OF Arts, the National Acad
envy or Design, the American In
stitute Of Arts and Letters and the
Architectural League OF New
YORK. These participants will be
marshaled in great pavilion tent
at the east end of the lagoon and
will proceed in columns on each
side toward the Memorial, there to
take positions on the approaches
and steps. Various chapters of
the American Institute Of Archi-
tects and of the other groups of
arts and crafts represented, will
carry special banners embodying
such traditions as may be effec-
lively symbolized.
Slow burning torches will pro.
vide a decorative illumination
during the progress of the pro-
cession and their flare will be, re-
Elected in the rfppled surface Of
the lagoon. A trumster stationed
on the barge will play a joyous
professional.
At the moment when the pro.
cessions begin their march the
President Of the Institute and
Mr.. Bacon will embark upon
barge decorated in the manner
reminiscent OF the historic state
barges of olden times. The barge
will proceed to the steps Of the
lagoon in front Of the memorial
and there its occupants will dis
embark to be greeted by the
Marine Band, stationed nearby.
They will be received by Chief
Justice Taft, who will present
them to President Harding, and
from his hands Mr.. Bacon will
receive medal
Very brief presentation speeches
will follow and group Of star
clusters, high in the night sky,
will shed benediction upon the
scene. During the progress of
the procession and the barge, the
whole setting will be illuminated
with streams Of, light which fall
upon the multi-colored costumes
of the marchers and the sumptu.
Gus decoration Of the barge will
add that note of rich and gorgeous
splendor which made the ancient
pageants so dear to the people
of Europe. =.
=
Asst evening President and Mrs.
Harding entertained guests at
dinner in compliment to Ambassa-
dor and Mrs. Harvey. The dinner
was followed by recital, by that
gifted boy pianist, Chura Cher
kassiy, who has been creating a
sensation by his playing and whose
numbers were received with great
enthusiasm.
1t was a most informal party,
the dinner guests assembling after
ward in the East Room for the
music, and Mrs. Harding, a gen
uine lover Of music, complimenting
the young pianist most heartily.
Young Cherkassky shyly told
Mrs. Harding that his mother de-.
serves all the credit for his must
cal ability. Nine. Cherkassky,
who accompanied her son to the
White House. was a protege of the
famous Rachmaninoff, and has
been untiring in passing on to
Shura what she learned from the
great master,