Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-15
UNKNOWN'S TOMB
FINISHING URGED
Fine Arts Commission Visits
Arlington Cemetery-Fa-
vorS Early Action.

The Commission of Fine Arts today
made the first definite move toward
completion Of the tomb of the I'm
known Soldier taken since 1921. Mem
bers of the commission visited Arling-
ton Cemetery, inspected the tomb and
declared 1t their view that completion
of the tomb Of Americas unknown
war hero should be pushed as rapidly
as possible.
While the commission does not now
have designs for the completion OF the
tomb before it., members said the four
cooperating agencies authorized to
supervise the work OF completioh
should move toward this end as rapidly
as possible, even though no money ls
available for the drawing Of plans ana
4 completed design.
TJnder q Joint resolution passed by
Congress, July 8, 1926, the Secretary
of War is authorized to secure com
petitiye designs for completion OF the
tomb. The design must be approVeu
by the Commission or Fine Arts' the
Arlington Amphitheater Commission
and the American Battle Monument
Commission.
$4,000 Appropriation Faled.
When the Unknown Soldier was
buried on November II, 1921, with
great pomp and circumstance IN a
ceremony attended by President Hard
| ing and representatives of all allied
governments, the body was placed IN
| the pedestal for a monument TO be
completed later.
The pedestal was designed Dy
Thomas Hastings, the architect OF
the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater,
who planned q monument to mar
monize with and complete the general
composition of it. A tentative design
for completion was approved by the
| Commission of Fine Arts, but was OBJ
iected to in official circles on the
ground that 1t seemed to detract from
the building. Several notifications
have been submitted, but no appropri-
alton has been made to cover the cost
OF completion, and the tomb remains
in an unfinished condition. The sum
of $50 900 for completion Of the tomb
was carried in the second deficiency
act which failed of passage in the
closing days of the Sixty-ninth Con-
gress.
Will Push Work.
Members declared today that al
though the designs must be compet1-
tive, and although no money is avail
able, every step should be taken to
push to completion the living symbol
of Americas war dead.
Plans for construction of two swim
ming pools in the Mckinley Manual
Training School grounds were APP
proved The commission also visited
Meridian Hill Park and suggested
treatments of the lower retaining wall
facing w street. General plans for
completion of the lower gardens, in
Guiding provision for series of cas-
cades, a rejecting pool and a statue
to President James Buchanan have
already been approved. The sum of
$4,000 will be available July for
completion of the lower gardens. The
commission studied at some length
plans for the new internal revenue
building to go up at Eleventh and C
streets, but took no action.
Approval of Changes.
Outlining certain minor changes in
| design of the wave and reduction In
| height of the entire conception, mem
| bers of the Fine Arts Commission yes
terday tentatively approved revised
design for the Navy and Marine
| Memorial at a private viewing OF a
plaster design in the Navy Building.
Criticism Of the design and of inscrib.
ing the names of many donors on the
memorial base has been raised by
Representative Andrew Of Massa.
chusetts. A year ago the commission
recommended that the site for the
memorial be changed from Hains
Point to a site near the junction of
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