Evening star., 1927-11-06
URGE COMPLETION
OF MONUMENTBASE
Architects Would Have
Washington Memorial Ready
for 200th Anniversary.

=. A movement to complete the base
for the Washington Monument has
been started among architects of the
Middle West, according to William
Harmon Beers of New York City.
chairman of the committee on public
Information of the American Institute
OF Architects.
The proposal. formally presented by
Glenn Brown OF this city, is now be-
fore the Chicago chapter OF the in
stitute for consideration. 1t is sug-
gested that the base be finished IN
time for the 200th anniversary of the
birth of Washington. in 1882.
Mr.. Brown urged completion of
the Monument in a statement pre-
pared for presentation to Congress.
Mr.. Beers states.
Cites Result of Observations.
"Seeing the Washington Monument
from my window and viewing it from
the hills of Maryland, the District and
Virginia during the past 80 years
MIR, Brown says. has impressed the
following pictures upon my mind
GRAY in the early dawn, golden in
the sunrise, brilliant in the bright
light. pink in the aftergiow, mysterl-
ms in the moonlight, black in the
thunderstorm, ghostly in the mist,
always ma iestic stands the memorial
to Washington.
"The central feature of great land
seape composition. it is a charming
and dignified end to many visits. Seen
from the Capitol the White House
and the Lincoln Memorial, it STANDS
imposing in its grandeur; from me
river it rises pure and simple with
the green hills of Maryland as noble
exedra Under the brilliant search
light, the great white shaft stands,
pure and SpOtleSS against the pldCA
Sky.
Seen as Stately Structure.
"In the sunlight and shadow
thunderstorm and mistS, in the citudS
and the clear sky. against the golden
sunrise and the red sunset: against
fhe midday sky OF the blue and the
midnight sky. scintillating with stars,
against the bright. white clouds and
the dark. gray clouds, moving with
the wind. bowling to the warmth Uf
the sun, taking the lightning's stroke,
ever changing, 1t is always stately.
always beautiful.
1.-THE want of a base in these images
was obscured by buildings or foliage.
Upon a near view. we are impressed
by the lack of a base and must feel
the Monument has never been COM
pieted.
Robert Mills, the designer pro-
yided a circular colonnade' of Doric
columns set on a simple massive base.
When from the Arlington hills we
see the Lincoln Memorial on the axis
of the Monument the effective results
OF such treatment can be appreciated
AS the Washington Monument was
the central and dominant feature in
the park commissions composition,
the treatment OF its base was a deep
concern.
Commission Plan Outlined.
sit was Charles r. McKim. WHIT
after seeing the Egyptian obelisk on
{ horizontal marble terrace in Italy
suggested it as the proper treatment
TO complete the memorial. The COM
mission agreed that this solved the
problem. Their plan called for a
marble terrace some l 200 feet long
and approximately 10 feet high on
the west front with a noble flight of
steps down to the level OF the Lin
coin Memorial lagoon. 1 think we
must all acknowledge this better
solution that Mills colonnade.
g"In a few years-I932-we will he
celebrating the 200th birthday of
Washington. Could the country pay
him a better tribute than the COM
pletion Of his monument began nearly
q hundred years ago-1S33?
.'I believe this public service in
memory of Washington and Lincoln
will interest the Chicago chapter, and
j further believe the architects Of the
Middle West may start the move
,nent to rectify this long-standing neg
feet. II the people become inter.
ested, Congress viii see that this
noble memorial Is completed as a
token OF reverence before his 200th
anniversary in 1892"