The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1927-10-07
URGES $l,5oo,o0O FOR
THE WRIGHT BEACON
LaGuardia of New York Thinks Memorial to
Aviation at Kitty Hawk Should Be
~Comparable To The Pyramids

erected at Kill Devil Hills
should compare favorably in
artistic design and dimensions
with the Statue of Liberty IN
New York harbor. :" the statue
of Frederick the Great at Ber-
lin. the Victor Emanuel monu-
ment in Rome. the Waterloo
monument in Belgium. or even
the pyramids in F."ypt. is the,
opinion of Hon. Fiorello II. La
Guardia, a recent addition to
the National Advisory Council
of the Kill Devil Hills Memoir
iaI Association which was rec
emily organized in Elizabeth
City.
Mr., LaGuardia believes that the
American people will gladly approve
n memorial costing Sl.5OO,0O0 ana ir
the government is not inclined 10
spend that amount he will be one
of an active group TO go before the
American people and solicit private
subscriptions to supplement the
governments appropriation.
Mr.. LaGuardia is the represent
ative in Congress from the 2oth ais-
trict of the State Of New York. and
has been Il member for severai
FERNS. He was born in Italy. Prior
to the World War he was Presi-
dent of the Board of Aldermen OF
New York City. under the admin
istration of Mayor John Purroy
Mitchell. During the World War he
attained great distinction as an
aviator on the Italian Austrian
fr, MT. and was personally decorated
for bravery by the King of ltaiy.
While I'm the service he was Stlll a
member of Congress. Though listed
as a Republican, Mr.. LaGuardia
has been quite Il stormy ,petrei Ill
Congress and was expelled from the
Republican caucus along with the
Wisconsin delegation. He Is stu
dent of government and Is rated as
n most able member of Congress 4
Congressman LaGuardia's views
are set forth in Il letter to Hon.
Lindsay c. Warren. chairman g.
the National Advisory Council OIL
the Kill Devil Hills Memorial Asso-
citation. In accepting membership
In the National Advisory Council OF
the Association Mr.. .LaGuardia
wrote; ..i, IL
"In accepting this membership
want to state that I ami willing TO
fake an active part and do any
work allotted to me to make the
Wright Memorial at Kitty Hawk,
great success.
"You know my feelings I'm the
matter. and I believe that ! have
expressed myself many times oifici-
ally that ] do not feel that THIS
Memorial will be completed or satis-
fled by the simple placing of a
marker or erecting any insignificant
monument. The conquest OF the
elements by man and the greatest
blessing to civilization. that of fly
ing. cOnqucring space and bringing
ppople together. should he COM
memorated i'm n monument worthy
of the achievement of such heroic
dimensions as to make il fitting q
grateful people Of a great nation.
The monument at Kitty Hawk
should compare fayoIably In arts
fjc design and dimensions to that
of the Statue of Liberty i'm the New
York Harbor. to the monument OF
Frederick the Great at Berlin, or
the Victor Emanuel Memorial in
Rome. or the Waterloo Monument
in Berlin, or even the Pyramids In
Egypt.
"The best artistic talent in the
United States should compete and
the proper design or model selected
by jury composed Of men OF ma
tiCnaI prominence.
Personally. feel that the Ameri-
can people will he only too happy
and would heartily approve an ap-
preparation of S1,500,000 by Con-
grpss for this purpose. If those In
charge do not wish to assume the
responsib lily. and do not so inter
nret the wishes 6 the American
people. I am sure that the amount
can easily be raised by private sub
I scrirtion. I will undertake to col
lect New York City's quota, should
the Association decide to erect a
monument by popular subscription.
II do not feel that there Is any
merit in the argument that Kitty
Hawk is out of the way and that
it would he inadvisable to place such
gigantic memorial at that spot.
That is the spot where the first
experiment was made; that Is the
place where the air. was conquered,
and flying first accomplished. and
that is the spot where the monu-
ment should be erected and where
people of the whole world. not now
perhaps, but in time to come, will
&C 10 pay then tIDuue 10 this