Evening star., 1951-09-19

public were to display lack of interest
in matters of this kind.
The history of the construction of the
Arlington Memorial Bridge and the erec-
ton of the new statuary, with reference
to official actions by the agencies and
individuals who reviewed and approved
all stages of this project, may not be
generally known. Therefore. the fol-
lowing brief statement of factual back
ground may be helpful in future discus
sions in the press or otherwise:
Plans for the construction of the Ar
lington Memorial Bridge and the de-
velopment Of the west end of the Mall
were prepared by the Arlington Me-
mortal Bridge Commission created by
act Of Congress on March 4, 1918. The
plans for this development were pub
lished in 1924. The design of the Ar
lington Memorial Bridge, the Watergate.
Memorial Avenue leading to Arlington
National Cemetery. and the widening
and improvement of Constitution ave-
nue. were included in these plans. Prior
to publication. they were examined and
approved by the Commission of Fine
Arts at meeting held in September,
White, architects for the bridge. The
Commission Of Fine Arts is composed
Of outstanding artists. sculptors and
architects selected by the President of
the United States for their nationally
recognized accomplishments in their re-
spective fields
Originally. the architectural design for
the Arlington Memorial Bridge provided
fnr txY,A
mounted by eagles, to be located at the
District OF Columbia entrance to the
structure. In the Tenth Report of the
Commission of Fine Arts, covering the
period July l, 1921, to December 81,
1928, it was stated that the commission
had acted to replace the pylons with
sculptures, decreasing the height by 10
feet, in order to avoid possible conflict
with the Lincoln Memorial In a ma
tional competition, the Fine Arts Com
mission selected the models entitled
Peace, and the Arts of Peace" by
James Earle Fraser, and the models
called Sacrifice" and "Valor." by Leo
Frledlander. to be located at the en-
frances to the Rock Greek and Potomac
Parkway and the Arlington Memorial
Bridge, respectively. This action on the
part OF the Commission of Fine Arts is
recorded in their Twelfth Report COW
ering the period January /, 1929, to De-
cember 81, 1884. The late Charles
Moore served as chairman of that COM
mission from 1915 to 1887.
Ii was intended that the statues
sho1ld be carved in granite. The Four
teenth Report ot the Commission of
Fin: Arts Q940-1944 records that the
commission felt the statues would look
quite as satisfactory in metal as in
stoce" and recommended the National
Park Service secure bids for casting the
statues in bronze or Benedict nickel.
The Sculptors. Messrs. Fraser and Fried
lander, and the architects for the project
concurred in this recommendation.
in 1884. and again in 1850, full-scale
models of the statues were put in place
on the Arlington Memorial Bridge Plaza
pedestalS for the consideration of the
Fine Arts Commission. the sculptors, the
architects and officials of the National
Park Service concerned with this project.
On each of these occasions all persons
present studied and enthusiastically
approved the size of the sculptures. and
at the 1850 meeting the fire-gilt finish
of gold which the sculptors hoped to
obtain, was approved. Gilmore D. Clarke
served as chairman of the Fine Arts
Com mnisSlon from. 1887 to 1850.
Tue National Park Service and its
predecessor. the Office of Public Build
ings and Grounds, have served as the
executive officer in the management of
the Arlington Memorial Bridge project
for ahe Arlington Memorial Bridge Com
mission. In acting for the commission,
the executive officer on every occasion
sought the recommendations and ap-
proval of the Commission of Fine Arts,
which is responsible under law for pass
ing upon the artistic merits Of projects