Evening star., 1925-06-13

refreshing the memory to check up
these lists and identify the particular
merit which has designated the hon
ored one with the distinction Of being
one of the great Americans" worthy
OF a place in the Hall of Fame. or the
Pantheon of Artists and Architects.
II is also worth while TO check up
those yet outside of the $50 American
'immortals' who seem to merit that
distinction.
An analysis Of the classes so hon
ored shows that statesmen lead all
others. Authors are about half as
numerous as statesmen. Soldiers and
sailors, combined, are only one-sixth
the number of the statesmen or a
third as numerous as authors: they
run neck-and-neCk with preachers. and
beat the lawyers, inventors. scientists
and philanthropiSts. OF the first 40
''immortals," only one was an artist
and one a teacher. The fewness Of
soldiers and sailors ranked as great"
indicates the non-military character
OF the Nation. On the other hand,
the fact that the men who select the
electors are members of a college
faculty may account for the high per-
centaGe of authors and statesmen so
honored in the Hall of Fame.
* < x
There has always been more or less
public protest against recognizing this
privately endowed and privately man
aged Hall of Fame. 1t is urged that
such an institution should be estah-
lished by the Government supported
by taxation and controlled by a non
partisan board. Also, that it should
be located at the National Capital, as
is the case with all European pam
theons. Americans profess to scorn
rank, but they do not hesitate to rec
ognize and honor great achievement.
The National Capitol has a so-called
Hall of Fame in Statuary Hall. where
are two statues from each State, Sc
lected by the respective States 10
honor their chosen great. The hall
was never adapted to such a collec-
ton and is so overcrowded now with
nearly 100 statues that none can be
properly displayed and lighted 1t
has been proposed to provide a suita-
BILE statuary hall in the new National
Art Gallery; also it is suggested that
a separate Pantheon for the heroes
of the States would be more appro-
pirate in relieving the present over
crowded Capitol hall. These stat
ues are not necessarily cherished
aS,works of art, but, rather, as monu-
ments Of the persons so honored. All
are statesmen, soldiers, sailors, pio-
neers or social reformers. To add
to the group all other great Ameri-
cans" such as appear in the Hall of
Fame, would change the character OF
the whole collection-lose its mean
ing.
While the American problem differs
from those of European pantheons, 1t
is noteworthy that even in Europe
sistencies. For example, in the Pan
theon at Rome there is a statue of
Raphael, but none of Michelangelo,
nor of Dante. The Pantheon of Paris
once held the bones of Mirabeau, but,
later, they were removed by partisans
to show greater honor to Marat In
the German Empire there was an In.
violable rule which prohibited any but
royalty to be shown in sculpture
astride a horse. Bismarck was shown
standing by a horse, but not mount
ed Bismarck and Gen. Hindenburg
rated" colossal statues, but not
mounted ones. Lesser dignitaries were
have heroic size, while ordinary sub
size, and common mortals were linn
tied TO busts. If the American
Pantheon ever falls into political con-
troll perhaps there may be inches for
statuettes of leaders OF the other
party" But who will select the
great ones for the colossals and the
heroics?
lCopyrtsat, 1850. By rsul " CorinAl