Evening star., 1953-08-11
Corps
neUrgedo on
NeVius Tract
Memorial Group Has
Two Other Strong
Contepders for Site

Arlington County's 27-acre Ne
vluS tract, which probably has
been sought for more uses than
any parcel of land in the Wash
ington area, is once more on the
firing line.
The latest overture is being
made by the Marine Corps War
Memorial Foundation. The Ma
rine group sees the site, COM
manding an unmatchable view
over the Potomac, in line with
the Mall, as the perfect location
for it's $500.00O bronze statue
memoralizing the historic Mount
Suribachi flag-raising on Two
Jirna.
At the same time, other pro-
posals which might we'll deter
mine the tracts eventual use
once and for all, include:
l. A strongly supported move
on Capitol Hill to make the land
available for a national monu-
ment SymboliZing "the ideals of
a democracy as embodied in the
five freedoms (of) the Bill
of Rights"
2. A site for the memorial
tower and carlton to be pre-
sented to the United States as
a friendship gesture by The
Netherlands.
AdjOins Arlington Cemetery.
The tract, located on high
ground near the river, lies be-
tween Memorial and Key Bridges
adjoining the Arlington National
Cemetery. 1t is bounded by Ar
lington Ridge road and Arling-
ton boulevard.
Acquired by the Federal Gov
ernment as the now-absrdoned
site for a veterans hospital the
tract long was sought by real
estate interests. It also has been
proposed as an extension of the
cemetery. as county park and
as a memorial to wartime chap
lains. 1t was turned over to the
Interior Department six months
ago as an addition to the George
Washington Memorial Parkway
area. The parkway area runs
between the river and the tract.
Maj. Gen. Merritt A. Edison,
US. M. c.. retired, asked the
National Capital Planning Com
mission. in closed session last
week, to approve the site for the
Two Jima memorial.
AS president of the Marine
foundation. Gen. Edison recently
made the same request of In
terror Secretary Mckay. By law.
the Interior Department has
been directed to yield a site
somewhere in the area for the
memorial. Secretary Mckay told
Gen. Edson, however, that the
request would be held until a
decision is made on location of
the Netherlands bell-tower.
Arts Commission Backing.
The Marines proposal has
strong backing from the Fine
Arts Commission.
Gen. Edison said he suggested
to the planners that, "as a lay
man, it seemed to me the tract
is big enough to hold both the
carlton and the Marine me-
mortal"
He said the bronze statue,
reaching a total height of about
IS feet with figures 80 feet high,
will be finished late next year or
in early 1855. It is the work of
WASHINGTON Sculptor Felix w.
de weldon. Casting, at a Long
Island foundry, is about 65 per
cent finished.
A smaller De Weldon statue of
the dramatic flag-raising is at
the O1'o-+ico Marine Base.
The planning commission took
the request under consideration.
Spokesman would not comment
on possible action.
Freedoms Shrine Favored.
Earlier, however, the commits
sion favored development of the
tract more along lines proposed
in a bill sponsored by Represent
ative D'Ewart, Republican. of
Montana. His bill proposed for
nation of a National Monument
Commission to develop the mem
orial embodying the five free
domS.
Those favoring the bill, includ-
ing National Park Service Off
cials, point out that the tract
is the last available land in a
monumental line formed by the
Capitol, the Washington Monu-
ment and the Lincoln Memorial.
AS such. they contend, it's de-
velopment should have the high
est possible national significance.
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