Palisadian., 1923-06-15
HACKENSACK WAR MEMORIAL IN BAD
WITH LOCAL CRITICS WHO SAY UGLY
THINGS that ARE NOT IN GOOD TASTE
Sculptor Nehaus in Dignfed Statement Claims That Dis
approval Is Based Misconception of
Motive in Work.

SeTldlu people III 11dChcuSdCk nave
taken a dislike to the Hackensack
War Memorial recently designed by
Charles Niehaus, the eminent sculp-
tor, residing in Grantwood, with a
studio in New York and associated
with many outstanding works of art
in his profession. The Hackensack
memorial as conceived by Sculptor
-Niehaus has raised a quantity of crit
icism it really does not deserve, and
public sentiment on the subject has
been Influenced by one of the local
newspapers to such an extent as to
make the proposed memorial an OBJ
.ject of ridicule rather than admira-
ton. All sorts of fun has been made
over the female figure that is the
main study of Artist Niehaus' concep-
tion of what should best typify the al
legorical thought associated with the
four great American wars that we
have had. From viewpoint of COM
mon justice it would seem that the
jokes that have been passed upon this
memorial are not only i'll timed, but
out of place and in very bad form.
The would be wit of the local paper
has had lot to do with creating feel
ing against this memorial, and some
things said have been of execrable
taste.
The Hoboken Observer this week
in speaking Of this criticism in Hack
ensack says:
"a spirited controversy, due in large
measure, 1t Is believed, to a misin-
depreciation of the symbols employed
by the sculptor in working out the
conception of his model, has arisen
over the selection of the design sub
mitted by Charles Niehaus for the pro-
posed war memorial for the city of
Hackensack
when seen by representative of
the Hudson Observer at his home in
Grantwood Mr.. Niehaus expressed
keen regret that his model should
have been so interpreted as to be de-
clared expressive of German senti-
ment. The design as conceived by
Mr.. Niehaus and explained by him to
the reporter is this: A draped female
figure, symbolizing the Goddess of
War proclaiming peace, is shown with
arms uplifted, the right hand with
palm extended outward in the act of
hating the advance of war; the left
hand holds broken sword, the en-
blem of war, and laurel branch, the
emblem of victory. The helmet worn
by the woman, which has been crit
icised for its so-called resemblance to
the German helmet, Is of Grecian ori.
gin. A sword is swung from the right
shoulder. The feet are encased in
sandals. The beauty, force and digni-
ty of the figure are apparent TO all
who have seen the model.
"Mr. Niehaus stated that his con-
ception of the design was based on
the fact that the memorial committee
asked for soldiers monument that
would be memorial, not to any one
war, but to the four great conflicts in
which America has engaged-namely,
the war of the Revolution, the Civil
War, the Spanish-American war and
the world war Hence the selection
of female figure, as the Goddess of
War, symbolizing War in collective
sense, had seemed to him most hitting.
The figure is to be of bronze, standing
upon a circular pedestal of oolitic
stone. The pedestal is to be divided
into four, panels, each depicting some
incident in each of the four wars rep
resented, as follows: For the war of
the Revolution, Washington crossing
the Delaware for the Civil War, Lee
surrendering to Grant; for the Span
ish-American war, the sinking of the
Maine; for the world war, dough
boy n the foreground, leading the ad-
vancs of horseman and foot soldiery.
This panel, however, is to be changed
replaced by an army tank. A border,
in which the eagle is used as the en-
blem, tops the pedestal. The monu-
ment when completed will be about
nineteen feet in height, including the
pedestal and figure, which is to be
about eleven feet in height.
"The Niehaus design was approved
by Architect Arnold Brunner of New
York, representing the American Fed.
Grafton of Arts, of which Charles
Moore of Washington is chairman of
the war memorial committee. Mr.
Moore is also chairman of the Fine
Arts Commission. Mr.. Brunner, whose
opinion as an expert from the Fedora
ton of Arts was valued by the design
committee of Hackensack, of which
Charles Conklin is chairman, is treas
urer of the American Institute of Arts
and Letters. 1t is expected that the
contract for the work will be signed
July 2.
''The two other competitors were
John Ettel of Leonia and Stoughton &
Stoughton, architects, of New York.
The monument is to be erected by the
people of Hackensack at cost of
$4,000 and will be placed on the
green opposite the court house. The
American Legion of Hackensack re.
Gently passed a resolution opposing
the selection of the Niehaus design"