Evening star., 1925-09-06
BY HENRY l.. SWEINHART.

A LMOST within the shadow of
~ the Capitol of the United
a States there is being erected
4 4 and will soon be ready for un-
yelling a statue to the first
national hero of a foreign country to
be placed in this city. 1t is an eques-
trian figure of San Martin, the George
Washington of Argentina. the soldier
and statesman to whom Chile and
Peru as we'll as the River Plate re-
public owe their independence from
Spain.
This artistic and significant monu-
ment of granite and bronze, a gift of
the people of Argentina to the people
of the United States in recognition of
the Washington statue donated by
citizens of this country to the south
ern republic and unveiled in Buenos
Aires several years ago, will stand in
the center of spacious Judiciary
Square, only a few blocks from the
Nations legislative halls.
All Material From Argentina.
The statue will be entirely COM
pleted by the end of the present
foundation has been finished and the
polished granite blocks which will
form the pedestal are being put in
place. Everything connected with the
monument came from Argentina, even
the sand used in the foundation, which
was taken from the battlefield of San
Lorenzo, where in 1918 San Martin
won an important victory for the fu-
ture independence of Argentina. The
beautiful blush granite which will
form the pedestal was quarried in the
Province of Cordoba near the birth
place of the famous liberator
The San Martin statue will COM
memorate his victories against
Spanish royalist forces, not only in
winning the freedom of Argentina but
also in helping Chile and Peru TO
throw off the yoke of the foreign
dictator. Carved in the granite on
the four sides of the pedestal, there
fore. will be the names San Lorenzo,
Chacabuco, Maipu and Lima. Above
these viii be bronze bas-reliefs depict
ing historic scenes in connection with
these battles. Placed inside of the
granite pedestal will be a highly
polished onyx stone. also from Ar
gentina, in which will be deposited
copies of the act providing for the
gift and the act passed by the Con
gress of the United States and ap-
proved by President Coolidge on June
Z, 1924, authorizing it's acceptance.
By Famous Sculptor.
A replica of the famous statue by
Dumont which stands in the plaza in
Buenos Aires named in honor of Gen.
San Martin, the one which has been
sent here from the sister republic in
South America will be notable addi-
tion to those already dotting this city.
While there are other foreign heroes
honored by statues in Washington,
they are all, with the exception of
the French Jeanne dare. officers who
participated in the American War of
the Revolution, including Lafayette
Rochambeau, Won Steuben, Kos.
ciuszko and Pulaski. In addition TO
the San Martin statue, others now in
course of erection here are one to
Gen. Meade of Gettysburg fame;
another to John Ericsson. inventor ot
the Monitor. first ironclad battle
ship, and one to the heroes of the
Titanic, donated by the Women's
Titanic Memorial Association.
OF Gen. Jose de San Martin it has
been said: He did more than any
other man for the cause of independ
ence in the Argentine, Chile and Peru
He was not only an able soldier; in