Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 128, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1919 — Page 3

GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL BUILDING

By Rupert Hughes

"TO Be Erected at the * National Capital and Dedicated toOurßous Who Have Fouoht, Suffered and Given Their Lives for the Freedom of the World.

of ’l7 and ’76 ! The men of 1917 p* JV 1 have maintained the legacy left by I |W| I the men of 1776, and have paid the | | debt Incurred. The odd coincidence 1Q numbers stands as the symbol of a real bond. <e Washington borrowed of France the men and the money that saved the day for the freedom of the colonies. Wilson sent back to France the men and the money that saved the day for the freedom of the nations- We repaid Lafayette with Pershing. There is a universal eagerness to build a fitting memorial to the heroes of the war of wars. Monuments will spring up all over the United States to Individual men, officers and organizations. But there is an insistent demand for one great national memorial. The only place for it is, of course, the capital of the country, and Washington has been and will be in a large sense the capital of the world. No memorial will be appropriate which has not a lasting value and a dignity of usefulness as well as beauty and splendor. Nd statue or group of statues could be reared which would, express what this memorial must express. No column of melted cannon, though it were made of steel barrels a mile high, would convey the message. An imperial arch would imply nothing more than a gateway for conquerors and would act simply as an obstruction to traffic.' The right memorial must be a temple, a temple of architectural- grandeur, a museum for statues, busts, tablets, archives and interesting relics,.a place of daily resort, and a meeting place for national gatherings. It is an amazing fact that Washington—the seat of our national government, the center of world activity, the mecca of congresses—has no large and dignified meeting jjlace, no convention hall of any dimensions. The memorial described will therefore meet a pressing need. What ideal should this memorial most vividly express? Of what religion should the temple be? Surely, the religion of freedom, of democracy, of equality, and of opportunity. It should express the triumph of the ideals of Washington and the founders of this Republic as those ideals have spread through the world and united in the recent bloody victory over the spirit of autocracy. j By strange good fortune these ideals can be immediately realized. Construction can begin at once. Since George Washington w’ould accept no money for .his services to the nation two gifts were voted to him, one consisting of h sum in cash, which he disposed" of as an endowment to the university now known as Washington and Lee; the other a number of stock certificates valued then at $25,000. The latter amount he set aside in hTF will to be used as a cumulative fund for the diffusion of knowledge. In the vicissitudes of time the stock he bequeathed lost its value arid the dying wish of the father of his country seemed likely to remain forever unfulfilled. Recently a movement was set on foot to fulfill the wish. The George Washington Memorial association was formed and various projects were advanced, among them the foundation of a university. But the cohntry had now fully .blossomed with universities, every state having its own. Mrs. Henry F. Dimock, sister of William Q. Whitney, who as secretary of the navy won thfe title of “Father of the New American Navy,” was elected president of the association. With characteristic energy, Mrs. Dimock has set about the accomplishment of the ideal. A national including eminent men and women from all sections of the country, has been formed and nearly half a million dollars already collected, in addition to a stUllarger amount pledged. The association has procured from congress the grant of an ideal tract of land, which was occupied b/ the Pennsylvania station, and at present covered in part by temporary buildings of the war department This is almost the Only desirable site remaining unoccupied in Washington. A competition in designs for the building was parti cipn ted in ; by a dozen of the foremost Amer-.

lean architects. The committee of award selected from these a plan of such impressive beauty as to silence criticism. This majestic structure will be spacious enough to house a multitude. The main auditorium occupies a floor space of 38,500 square feet, with a gallery of 10,000 square feet, giving a seating capacity of 7,000 persons ; it will furnish room for inaugural receptions, national and International conventions and conferences, orchestral concerts and celebrations. Several sn&ll halls are grouped about it to accommodate meetings of smaller bodies—military, patriotic, scientific, educational, and similar conventions. On the second floor Is a banquet hall with serving rooms, seating 600 people. Here also are rooms set apart as the permanent national headquarters of societies of veterans, of reserve officers and other patriotic societies. The third and fourth floors are planned to accommodate a museum and library for the care of precious relics, souvenirs, historical documents and the personal histories of our soldiers. A spacious chamber has been set apart for the exclusive use of each sovereign state of the Union and our outlying possessions. The plans have received the indorsement of the highest authorities. President Wilson writes: My Dear Mrs. Dimock: I have noted with genuine interest the plans of the George Washington Memorial association for a memorial to the boys ofZnhT as well as those of ’76. No one could withhold approval from such plans. They undoubtedly express what the heart of the whole country approves. Cordially and sincerely yours, • , ■ WOODROW WILSON. Committees of prominent men and women representing patriotic societies are collaborating. Collective and individual subscriptions in large and small amounts are being received. Every child who contributes ten cents receives a button carrying the legend: “This pin means a brick In the memorial building.” The name of each donor will be entered on the records. _ Such a building is very much needed/and if erected would contribute very matbYiaily toward _ the process of conference, consultation, discussion, awakening of public interest and conscience, reconciliation of views, recognition of abuses —the process through which a great self-governing people works out its problems and reaches its results. No better tribute to the memory of Washington, who led the men of ’76, and to our> boys of T 7, who maintained the freedom which he established, could be devised than such a natlonalQnemorlal. The number of associations and organizations, permanent end occasional, which seeks to bring peotogether for worthy objects in this country is enormous.. ” \ One of the most urgent needs is a suitable meeting place for national and international societies and conventions in Washington. Under existing conditions we are justified in inviting large societies and congresses, especially those of an Interna-

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

tional character, to meet in this country ; for the natural place is Washington. . \ The control and administration of this building, when erected, will be the board of regents of the Smithsonian institution, of which the president of the United States is the presiding officer, ex-officio, and the chief justice the chancellor. Such a building will aid in advancing the cause of education, patriotism, science and the arts, as well as providing a lasting evidence of our loyal devotion to the memory of our boys who emulated the example an.d noble character of our greatest commander and president. ORGANIZATION PLAN OF GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION. President —Mrs. Henry F. Dimock, Washington, D. C. Treasurer —Mrs, Frank Northrop, New York. Trustee of Permanent Fund —Charles J. Bell, Washington, D. C. The National Council. The president. The vice president. The cabinet members. Members of the Supreme court. Members of congress. Governors of states. Prominent and representative leaders from various fields of activities, including the church, educational institutions, commerce, finance, literature, the arts and the stage. State Organization. The governor as honorary chairman of the state council. Mayors of cities. State senators and representatives. County school officials. City and Town Organization. The mayor or nominal head as honorary chairman of council. Council of departmental heads of the actual working organizations, locally paid by municipality, including eachers, firemen and policemen. A general committee in each city acting In cooperation with the above council will include the leaders in, all local activities which are in contact with the mass of people. This will bring in labor unions, commercial clubs, civic and other organizations, and churches, fraternal organizations and Clubs, as well as organizations having national connections. Also, prominent men and women who will engage in this work of honoring our first president, our illustrious soldiers of thfe past and our victorious soldiers of world redemption, who will be the bulwarks of our future economic position. The children will be locally organized under the care and guidance, of neighborhood groups corresponding to organization.

"What is idea of freedom of the seas?" “A chance to make a trip across without belpj shut up in my stateroom with seaslcknesa.”

FREEDOM.

BLACK and WHITE

Vogue Launched by French Makers Still in Favor. Afternoon Dress of White Crepe de Chine Heavily Embroidered in Front With Black Wool. The Imported gowns from that dear Paris are not pretty as to line and design—not even the. jpost enthusiastic admirer of French creations can enthuse over the very short skirts and sleeves and the rather bunchy look most of them seem to have —but they are decidedly Interesting and, more than that, even they are different from anything we see hereabouts. Now, for Instance, says a fashlop writer, comes a white silk Jersey evening gown, and from Doucet. It Is a charming thing with long lines so very graceful that-it 4s distinctly novel. While it is True most of the imported models seem to be rather bunchy, it is also to be noted that they all more of less ate of the one-piece or chemise type of dress. This particular evening gown is an excellent example, as it has nothing to break the long lines except a wide sash going twice around the waist and looping just at the hip on one side. The ends are finished with a heavy silken fringe and about halfway up the skirt are looped strands of white beads punctuated with large flat jet sequins. The yoke of the bodice Js ornamented with the same sort of beads and Jet so placed that they fall over the shoulders and thuj form the sleeves, as there are no others. It is difficult to describe a frock of this sort for the reason that it is far lovelier to See than it is to read about. All last year the French makers were busy launching a vogue of black and white, and the combination is still highly favored, as I find it exploited pleasingly in a Lanvin afternoon dress of white crepe de chine heavily embroidered in the front with black wool. This dress has the queer skirt distinguishing a number of French gowns by being so much longer in front than in the black and also by having most of the fullness gathered in the front. A black sash goes around the waist and falls quite to the hem in the back. Indeed, the sash is an important thing on every gown, as it appears in many unusual and interesting arrangements, sometimes placed high up under the arms and crossed in the front and again in the back, where it loops between the shoulderblades and then falls the length of the entire frock. In this instance the sash is not more than four Inches wide and appears on a Lige satin frock made with the simplicity of a little girl’s school dress, falling long and straight from the shoulders, with only the little crossed sashes at the bust and in the back to hold in the fullness. The sleeves are very short, Just the length we would call awkward, as they stop far short of the elbow.

GOWN IS OF BLUE GEORGETTE

Of blue georgette crepe, elaborately embroidered in oriental designs in tones of blue. This draped model is held in place at the waistline by a gold cord.

ASSUME GARB OF GROWNUPS

Little Girls Naturally Wish to Copy Elders and Designers «Have Provided for Them. Did you ever see a little girl who didn’t want to dress like grownups and who was not always surreptitiously borrowing things from her mother’s pressing room to play at -dressup? Even the powder box from the dressing table is Included in the game. «Those who design clothes for little people, states a fashion writer, have not forgotten their own childhood. They remember that little girls, even as you ami I. have better dispositions when they are wearing clothes that they like. A very young lady, say of about five years of age, could not possibly have that insignificant feeling., which Is so trying, when wearing a dolman cape

just like mother’s. One Is of buff colored velours—a nice soft, cuddly, ddu-ble-faced velours is used for it—and the bonnet that accompanies it Is of bright red chiffon cloth with lots of tucks. If you ask any little sub-deb what the trouble with most party dresses is she will tell you that they make one feel entirely too dressed up, and this, of* course, is fatal to a good time. For who wants to sit around and talk and sing and nevqr romp or anything?

ROSE SILK AND LACE VEST

This is a most charming vest of rose silk and lace. Many are the accessories for milady’s spring wardrobe and the vest is decidedly popular among the number.

OVERBLOUSE OF THE FRENCH

Garments Have Apron Fronts and Coquettish Little Sashes of the Material. French women are wearing the overblouse In each of its many versions. There are some that end at the waistline in the back and are finished to go over the skirt with an inch-wide ribbon of unusual weave and usually in contrasting color. After finishing the back of the blouse these colorful ribbons slip through loops made "by buttonhole stitching to tie over the apron front. - The fronts of many of these short-batik blouses take their Inspiration from the waistcoat of the past winter. Organdie overblouses are very smart. They have apron fronts and coquettish little sashes of the material edged with real lace. These new organdie blouses could be combined with separate skirts of organdie to make an attractive summer frock. The late imports of blouse almost invariably feature the short sleeve, usually cut on kimono lines or set Into a very loose armhole. The fastening of the blouse appears to be a movable thing. It may close on one shoulder or on both, In the back, in the front, or it may not fasten at all, merely slipped on over the head.

TAILORED SUIT IS FAVORITE

Coat Outfit Depicts Supreme Art' Which Has Been Mastered by American Manufacturers. For so long a time now women have come to accept the tailored coat suit as the very foundation of their wardrobes that it is the first consideration as the seasons change. Especially is this true of the average woman whose wishes are controlled by expediency and determined by absolute need. There Is no doubt about the fact that American manufacturers have developed the supreme art In the making of the coat suit. It is now possible to buy such suits, so well built, so perfectly designed, that few tailors can excel, for as great care is given to detail as the master makers themselves can show. Some foreign critic has said that there is such a monotony about the clothes of American women that it is as if everyone were trying to be as much like her neighbor as possible, and originality is an unknown sartorial art in this country. This critic must have referred to the blue serge suits, for It is undeniably the custom to clothe ourselves in dark blue, resting secure in the choice' of color and Its suitability for all occasions.

GINGHAM AND MUSLIN LINING

Materials for Inner Finish of Coats and Capes Afford New and Approved Idea. We hear of satin capes shown at the Paris openings that were lined with a soft pile fabric like duvetyn. These must add materially to the warmth of the garment, notes a fashion writer. And have you heard of gingham linings? This is a new idea, but after all, why would not gingham make as good a lining for a summer cape or coat as satin or peau de cygne or chiffon? Who would ever have dared to us® unbleached muslin for the lining of coats and capes? No one in the world but one of the smartest of Paris dressmakers. Apparently this Is merely a bit of daring, and not done in an* es-r fort toward economy, for the unbleached fabric Is used to line the most gorgeous and luxurious of gar* ments,