Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-14
RYH.K. BusH-BRoWN.

Ply H. X. BUSH-BROWN.
~ VERY President has dwelt upon
making the National Capital
worthy of a great people and ex-
nressive of national ideals and
aspirations, and now we are see
ing the result of these series OF eXecu-
tive suggestions being carried out In the
new buildings to house the admlnlstra-
ton of the Government and the mu-
H4cipality also.
Ssooyer has said: This Is more than
merely making a beautiful city. Wash
ington is not only the Nations Capital.
it is the symbol of America. BY Its
dignity and architectural inspiration We
stimulate pride in our country, we en-
courage that elevation OF Thought and
character which comes from archltec-
ture. In architecture it is the spiritual
impulse that counts; these buildings
should express the ideals and standards
of our times; they will be the measure
of our skill and taste by which we Will
be judged by our children'S children. :,
am confident we have within the Nation
the taste. skill and artistic sense to per-
form our task, for our architects have
already given America the leading place
in their art"
What the President has said of archi-
the Nation, and yet no general plan has
been officially suggested, much less
adopted, for the sculptural Identification
Of the Nations Capital. It is natural
and most commendable to provide first
streets, parks, and buildings; they are
essential for our physical needs. We
must have buildings to shelter us, streets
to travel on and parks to give us air to
breathe. However, it is largely by
e
preston to our spiritual vision and long
ings.
Dignity in Sculpture.
1t was sculpture that gave dignity tc
the art of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy
France and other modern countries. and
1t is upon sculpture that we must de-
pend to add, the required dignity to our
National Capital.
The convention of the American In
stitute Of Architects, held in Washing
ton in 1900, the one hundredth anniver-
sary of the establishment of the Dis
trict OF Columbia, reviewed what had
been done in the hundred years and
made suggestions for the future. These
addresses resulted in the appointment of
the Mcmillan Commission, whose
splendid report has been the guide BY
which these new buildings are now be-
ing erected.
On that occasion I was asked tc
SPEAK Tor the future of sculpture ir
washington. What I said was tr,Ie
Cnen, and Is none the less true now
ana therefore 1t seems suitable to make
Sne Following extracts from that adj
We erect monuments to keen alive
ta the mind OF the community the
Ideals that have moved the so,ls IF
men In the past, lest in the eniovTna,1t
OF the present blessings we foreet the
Valor ana self sacrifice, which alone
mace their attainment possible" Public
monuments, then, are intended tn have
sacred moral influence. which n
properly expressed, win endure 80 long
as prone or stone may last, and the
SOU OF man remains Responsive tn
eSetnal Iove. In other words, the value
OF work Of art is measured nv ite
moral effect Good art is a means ~. ~
educational elevation, and its influence
Is dependent on the conception of the
1oea and manner in which the artist
expresses his thought.
inns leads us to call attention tn the
reiatlon that monuments should hear
70 history. Since, as we have said, the
use OF monuments Is to educate the
keopAe; II must follow that in the selec-
uon OF subjects for public monuments
we should choose the important and
inspiring events to be COMMEMORATE
ana also arrange them In groIns tn
1orm coordinate and complete whole
II otner words, they should illustrate
the important events Of our history
oy beautiful and inspiring creations Of
FORM and color.
Selecting and Grouping Lack.
Commensurate as are the monuments
Wn 10
plan Of selecting subjects or oro,nino
tnem has been adopted? No. QUITE
the contrary, both Of these fundanen-
saliy important things have been left
entarely TO chance. The result Is be-
lore US; the important things of our
history have been neglected and the
un1mportant made prominent. while
Ine distribution has been so free as
sEppaFently 10 nave no other object
Snan to I'LL the vacant spaces.
washington, more than anv other
city in the world, is a city of homes
commerce and manufacturing never
nave had, and probably never will
nave, much OF a footing here. For
TINS reason 1t has greater opportunities
Tor establishment than any other CITY
however picturesque some features of
industrial equipment may be. factory
cn1mneys and their surroundings do not
modern world. In this respect, then.
Washington is unique, and has DOS
6loilitieS that are quite her own. let
US look about little and see what use
mas been made Of these possibilities
Aside from the decorative groups on
the Capitol, and some of the other
buildings, our monuments are mostly
military. Although it may well be said
tflat IN mnitary proves we have proven
ourselves second to no other Nation,
yet 1t is in the arts of peace that we
excel all other peoples.
Our experiment Of government has
proven the most successful of any vet
tried, and has modified mans social
relations in all civilized countries. The
city itself, with its Capitol, is the monu-
ment to those ideals. But where are
the monuments to those American crea.
lions that have revolutionized the world
the railroad, the telegraph, the cotton
gin, the reaper, the sewing machine
the marine cable and the telephone
ETC.?
Relation of Monuments.
Now. We should have word for the
relation that one monument should
bear 10 another. The mind receives q
more lasting impression II ideas are
presented to it in some consecutive
order. The best artistic effects of pub.
tic monuments and buildings have beer
produced by proper grouping, so thai
one thing enhances the value OF
another by its proximity.
It Is evident. however, that some plan
Of very definite character should be
adopted so that ultimately a better ar.
rangement may be developed. Any such
plan must aim at either chronological,
order or grouping as to subject, and
perhaps both Of these.
\ 4
As the United States leads the ma.
tons in all other things IL is natura
e Il.