Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-22
BROADS|DE FIRED
At SEA MEMORIAL
Design of Tribute to Navy and
Marine Men Scored by Rep
reSentative Andrew.


The Navy and Marine Memorial.
which Is proposed by the Navy and
Marine Memorial Association to be
erected in Potomac Park, and has al
ready been the subject of criticism
by the Commission of Fine Arts, came
in for a broadside of criticism today
by Representative A. Piatt Andrew
of Massachusetts.
Terming the proposed monument
intellectually inept," Mr.. Andrews
asked Rear Admiral Bradley A. F1ske,
president of the association, why the
names of Navy heroes are not to be
inscribed on the base of the monu-
ment, while "a distinct pledge Is gwen
that the first thousand donors OF 800
or more will be SO concentrated.
Funds are to be raised for construc-
ton of the memorial by subscription
throughout the country, letter
written by Representative Andrews
declared. and the contributors to the
fund had no idea of the kind of arch
itectural whatnot" that was contem-
plated.
The design for the memorial, which
was originally to have been placed at
the south end of Hams Point, was
drawn by Harvey w. Corbett, and
model was submitted to the commits.
sion made by Ernesto Begni del
Plata, sculptor. The memorial, ac'
cording to the design, would be ~
feet high and 80 feet wide at the base;
the steps to be 200 feet long, marked
by memorial plaques. Sculptural fea'
lures were sea gulls flying over
wave, the wings of the birds 10 nave
a spread of five feet.
View on Scale of Design.
The commission declared the design
would be interesting If the monument
were constructed on smaller scale,
in an opinion given year ago ana
recommended that the monument not
be placed at Hams Point, but that 1t
be located at the Potomac end of the
canal, which is to cross East Potomac
Park, 1t is still before the commission
for consideration.
The letter sent to Rear Admiral
Fiske by Mr.. Andrew caused SEN
sation in Navy and Marine circles be-
cause many individuals connected
with the two services have donated to
the fund for construction of the
memorial. The association is striving
to raise $500, 900 by subscription. A
statement given out by Mr.. Andrews
today said that probably $l,OOO,OO0
will have to be raised If the usual
course of giving so per cent OF the
amount raised to professional col
lectors is followed.
Mr.. Andrews letter follows:
Dear Admiral F1ske: During the
past fortnight 1 have received your
70 q vIlh
scription to a Navy and Marine
Memorial which, according to state
ments contained in these letters, is to
be erected in Washington, somewhere
along the waterfront and which, 1t is
claimed, has the Endorsement of the
Fine Arts Commission, two Secretaries
of the Navy, other cabinet officers,
members of Congress and various
people of prominence. Interested as
l am in everything that concerns the
Navy, and coming as do from New
England costal community whose
people from time immemorfal have fol-
lowed the life of the sea, could not
but approve the purpose of such a
monument.
Finds Plan Inadequate.
"The plan, however, as pictured in
adequate for so great purpose and
the proposed monument itself SO in
consequential as compared with the
imposing pyramid upon which it is
based, that I have been tempted to
question whether in reality this de-
sign has, as claimed, ever received
the approval of the Fine Arts Com
mission or many of the other distin-
guished people listed as donors or
sponsors.
THAT a bronze representation Of a
wave with a flock of gulls should
be placed on a pedestal of modest
as a park ornament would
not be surprising, but that it should
be regarded as an adequate tribute
to the memory of Americas story of
Gus; and that this little bronze wave
with gulls should be made the culmin-
alton Of an imposing flight of marble
terraces of monumental proportions
seems singularly inappropriate. / re-
aliZe that matters of taste in archi.
tectural design, as in everything else,
are often personal, and If this were
only my own conviction, should
hesitate to press what might seem
to be an expression of purely individ-
ual Judgment. l can assure you, how
ever, that this opinion is shared by
a great many people far better quail
fed to express opinions upon such
matters.
"We should all like to see our fine
American Navy, and our brave Amer.
lean sailors and seamen given the
honor that is their due, and we all
want to see Washington a city of
noble architecture and sculpture, the
peer, If not the superior, of any of
the capitals in the world. Both of
these considerations, I believe, de-
mand that the design for this me-
mortal be completely restudied, and
that something far more appropriate
be substituted for the proposed repre-
sentation Of a wave with sea gulls
upon an utterly disproportionate ar
chitectural base.
Sees Ignorance of Law.
From conversations with various
contributors to the fund I am per-
suaded that many have contributed
to the project for the very natural
reason that they were appealed to by
it's purpose, but who had no idea of
the kind of architectural whatnot'
that was contemplated. Upon inquiry |
find, too, that the Commission of |
Fine Arts, far from indOrsing the de- |
sign, have voiced outSpOken diSap- !
prevail of it. They state that while |
the design might be interesting If |
executed on a small scale, it would |
not command consideration IL exc
cuted on the scale proposed and that |
contrary to what was indicated in your |
recent circular letter the commission |
has positively disapproved both the |
design and the location of such a, |
monument on the Potomac shore site |
named in your letter. Under the cir |
it seems unfortunate that |
the campaign for funds should be per- |
sistently carried on throughout the |
country, and that Cabinet officers as |
III :, ,~ooy,,harcs IF tho commission