Evening star., 1960-01-07
Bill Seeks to Form
Monument Board
Measure Drawn
ToCo-ordinute
Memorials Here

The Eisenhower administra-
ton will send Congress this
session legislation aimed at
co-ordinating construction of
monuments and memorials in
the Nations Capital.
This was learned today as
Vice President Nixon urged
that a memorial to Theodore
Roosevelt be built on Roosevelt
Island in the Potomac River.
He wrote letters to every mem-
Der of Congress asking for ac-
ton on legislation authorizing
such appropriations as are nee
esSary to enable the Interior
Department to build the 60
foot-high celestial" sphere to
honor the 26th President.
And the Senate Rules Com
mittee. acting routinely, handed
to a subcommittee two other
billS-one to empower a foun-
dation to erect a monument to
James Monroe, and the other
to establish a commission to
plan one massive memorial to
all past Presidents.
The threat of scattering more
memorials in a city already
blessed with 1872 monuments to
the great and near-great has
been posed by rash of similar
legislation. So the proposal to
unity memorial programs was
drafted in the Interior Depart
ment.
Independent Board
There has been such a great
furry Of memorial proposals
that it almost has come to the
point where whoever squeals
the loudest gets a monument"
said Harry Thompson, National
Capital Parks director.
The bill, still in draft form
would set up an independent
memorial board to establish
policy and guidelines for con-
struction of memorials. Repre-
sented would be the National
Capital Planning Commission,
Fine Arts Commission. National
Park Service, the Senate and
the House of Representatives.
One idea is to have a five
man board, consisting of one
spokesman for each of these
organizations.
The other is to establish q
SiX-man board headed by Park
Service Director Conrad Wirth
with three members each from
the Planning Commission and
from the Fine Arts Commits
sion. The congressional repre-
sentativeS would serve ex officio.
Want 10 Statues
In part the proposal stems
from efforts of the National
Capital Planning Commission
to develop Memorial drive on
the Virginia side of the Poto.
mac as a monumental center.
A statue of the late Rear Ad-
miral Richard E. Byrd was
authorized to be built there
last year. Some planners would
like to see at least 10 statues
f1anking the drive, since statue
space in Washington is dis
appearing.
Close observers doubted that
the administration attempt to
coordinate memorials would
delay action on the Theodore
Roosevelt project. This sphere,
estimated to cost 1886 400,
would be set on a granite base
in great court overlooking a
rejecting pond. Bordering it on
three sides would be granite
panels inscribed with favorite
sayings of the Republican
Roosevelt.
Vice President Nixon wrote
to congressman as chairman Of
the Theodore Roosevelt Gen.
tennial Commission.
Congress last session cleared
legislation authorizing a me.
mortal to Franklin Roosevelt.
The Senate passed legislation
authorizing a monument to
James Madison. The House is
expected to act this session.
Senator Hartke, Democrat of
Indiana. explained that his
proposal to build a single me-
mortal to all past Presidents
was inspired by his observation
that only a small percentage Of
the men elected to the presi-
dency-"the highest honor in
the world"-have been memo.
rialized in this city.