Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-28
NAVY MAY REJECT
| 0FFERFOR0 OLYMPIA
Harden, New York Financier,
j Would Preserve Historic
! Craft in Capital.

An offer by Edward w. Harden, New
York fnancier, to purchase from the
Navy the historic Olympia, flagship of
Admiral Dewey at Manila Bay, probably
will not be accepted, although little
doubt remains that the old cruiser will
be preserved as a memorial.
Secretary Adams of the Navy said
today he believed better plan would
be for Congress to present the vessel
to the District OF Columbia or some
other city or State. The fate of the
cruiser will depend ultimately on the
policy decided upon by the President
and Congress.
Harden, who as newspaper cor
respondent was one of the few civilians
present at the battle of Manila Bay,
offered to pay the Navy the ships value
as scrap on condition that she be pre-
served here.
Secretary Adams in a letter made
public today advised Harden that it
was not in his power to accept the offer.
but expressed the belief that the ship
would be preserved through some other
means.
Has No Military Value.
The Olympia, which besides historic
service at Manila was given the honor
of bearing home the body of America S
Unknown Soldier, has no further mil
i1ary value and unless preserved as a
memorial would have to be sold for the
scrap iron it contains.
In considering what should be done
with the Olympia, Secretary Adams
has given thought to the desirability
of anchoring it in the Tidal Basin,
where it would be near the Arlington
National Cemetery and the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier. The Navy De-
partment would be unable to incur the
RI 10
ship available as a memorial. this be-
ing one of the questions to be passed
on when the President and Congress
consider the future of the vessel The
Olympia now is in dry dock at Phila-
delphis.
In his letter to Mr.. Harden, Secre-
tary Adams said:
MY Dear Mr.. Harden:
May l express to you the warm APP
'preciation which the Navy Department
feels for your generous offer to pur-
chase the Olympia and turn her into
q national memorial. Your interest in
that historic vessel is very welcome to
those who are interested in the Navy.
think it is clear that the Olympia
will be preserved in some manner. but
the exact method depends largely on
the policy of the President and also on
congressional action. as have no power
Of mourning permanent annual expense
on the scale necessary for making a
suitable memorial of the Olympia.
! with your leave, 1 shall be glad to
keep in mind your willingness to help
in case any possibility develops Of Of
fering you some opportunity in this
connection which might prove TO be
interesting.
with best regards, believe me
G. F. ADAMS"
Harden Present During Battle.
Mr.. Harden had explained in his let
ter that he and John T. McCutcheon
were on a trip around the world in
1893 in revenue cutter, which was
attached to Admiral DeWey's fleet when
war was declared. He was present with
the fleet, therefore, during the battle
Oh May /, and remained during the
Blockade which followed that encounter.
He related in his letter that he was on
board the Olympia during the suisse
, ouent bombardment of Manila In
those stirring days, he went on, he
established a friendship with Admiral
Dewey which continued until the ad-
miral's death. He explained that It was
because of his affection and admiration
| for Dewey, as we'll as feeling that
the Olympia should be preserved, that
he offered his assistance.
Feasibility Is Established.
It developed today that the feasibility
/ of extending the Tidal Basin as an
anchorage for a display of historic
American naval vessels was established
! by a study of the project made two
!,earA ago by the National Capital Park
end Planning Commission at the in
stance of member of Congress.
! Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant Sd, director
st D,,h Dull
! Public Parks, believes that ships could
be admitted from the Potomac River
with a minor amount of dredging. al
though the proposal to establish
lagoon for the anchorage, entailing
considerable dredging and the erection