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 V 
 
 HEARING 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 '^ '5 
 
 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
 
 HOUSE OF IIEPRESENTATIVES 
 
 SIXTY-THIRD CONGRESS 
 
 Second Session 
 
 ON 
 
 H. R. 11174 
 
 A BILL PROVIDING FOR THE APPROPRIATION OF A SUM OF MONEY 
 FOR THE ERECTION AT FORT McHENRY OF A MONUMENT AND 
 FLAGSTAFF TO FRANCIS SCOTT KEY AND A MEMORIAL 
 HALL TO THE DEFENDERS OF THE NATION IN THE 
 WAR OF 1812, AND THE ERECTION OF A MONU- 
 MENT UPON THE NORTH POINT BATTLE 
 FIELD, AND FOR THE NECESSARY AL- 
 TERATIONS IN THE BUILDINGS 
 AND GROUNDS IN CONNEC- 
 TION THEREWITH 
 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 1814 
 
 ^ t. 
 
,1-* 
 
 3S^ 
 
 % OF 0. 
 
 AUG 2S I9t5 
 
>^ 
 
 "j FORT McHENRY, MD. 
 
 ^ Monday, March 9, 1914. 
 
 STATEMENT OF HON. J. CHAEIES LINTHICUM, A REPRE- 
 SENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Mr. C'hairnian, tlie bill which I desire to present 
 to-day is H. R. 11174, providing for tlie appropriation of a sum 
 of money for tlie erection at Fort McHenry, Md., of a momiment 
 and flagstaff to Francis Scott Key, and a memorial hall to the de- 
 fenders of the Nation in the War of 1812 ; the erection of a monument 
 upon the North Point Battlefield near Baltimore, and for the necessary 
 alterations in the 1 iiildings and grounds of Fort McHenry. 
 
 T do not believe it necessary for me to read tlie entire bill, as the 
 members of tlie committee each have a copy before them, 1 ut I ask 
 that it be extended in the hearings. 
 
 A BILL Providing for the appropriation of a sum of money for the erection at Fort McHenry of a monu- 
 ment and flag.stafT to Francis Scott Key and a memorial 'hall to the defenders of the Nation in the War 
 of Eighteen hundred and twelve, and "the erection of a monument upon the North Point battle field, 
 and for the necessary alterations m the buildings and grounds in connection therewith. 
 
 Whereas a national patriotic celebration of the one hunch edth anniversary of the 
 
 birth of the Star-Spangled Banner, the defense of Fort McHenry, and the Battle of 
 
 North Point will be held in the city of Baltimore in September, nineteen hundred 
 
 and foiirteen; and 
 Whereas these events are of great significance to the Nation in marking the climax 
 
 of the defense of the country against invasion in the War of Eighteen hundred and 
 
 twelve, the repulse of the "force which had captured and despoiled the National 
 
 Capital, and the origin of Key's matchless song; and 
 Whereas this blow to the invaders was soon followed by the treaty of Ghent, which 
 
 established the commercial freedom of the United States as the final step in the 
 
 achievement of national independence; and 
 Whereas in a celebration of this kind the National Government, in whose defense the 
 
 battles were fought, ought to lend its aid so that the lessons of patriotism which it 
 
 will convey may be irnpressed upon the people: Therefore 
 
 Be it eriacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 
 in Congress assembled, That there shall be erected at Fort McHenry, v.nder the direc- 
 tion of the Secretary of War, a monument and flagstaff in honor of Francis Scott Key, 
 the author of the Star-Spangled Banner. 
 
 Sec. 2. That there shall be erected at Fort McHenry, under the direction of the 
 Secretary of War, a building to he known as Defenders' Memorial Hall, in memory of 
 the men who successfully defended Fort McHenry at the time of the British attack 
 on that fortification and of the other soldiers, sailors, and civilians who served their 
 country in the War of Eighteen hindred and twelve. 
 
 Sec. 3. There shall be "erected on the North Point battle field, upon the lot known 
 as "Doctor Houck's Acre," a momiment to the citizen soldiers of Maryland, Virginia, 
 and Pennsylvania, who participated in the successful defense of Baltimore against 
 the attack of the British invading army in eighteen hundred and fo' rteen: Provided, 
 hoicever. That the State of Maryland shall first cede to Congress its right and title to 
 said acre of land. 
 
 Sec. 4. That in the preparation of the plans and selection of sites for the said monu- 
 ments, flagstaff, and memorial hall, and the execution of all work in connection 
 therewith," the Secretary of V^ar shall form a committee composed of the mayor of 
 Baltimore, the chairman of the National Star-Spangled Banner Centennial, the 
 
 3 
 
4 FORT McHENRY, MD. 
 
 president of the Board of Park Commissioners of Baltimore, and two other persons 
 to be designated by tlie Secretary of War, whose suggestions lie shall invite, and with 
 whom he may confer and consult: Provided, however, That the decision of the Secre- 
 tary of War shall be final in all matters. 
 
 Sec. 5. That for the purpose of the erection of said monuments, flagstaff, and 
 memorial hall, and for such changes in the grounds and buildings of Fort McHenry 
 and North Point battle field as the Secretary of "War may approve, the sum of $500,000, 
 or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated from any money in 
 the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended by the direction of the 
 Secretary of War or such officer as he shall designate: Provided, That the money hereby 
 appropriated may be drawn from time to time, as may be required in the progress of 
 the work, upon requisition of the Secretary of "War. 
 
 Baltimore is about to c Lbrate from the 6tli da}^ of September, 
 1914, until the 16th the centennial of thv-^ battl; s of North Pomt and 
 Fort McHenry and the writing of the national anthem, the Star 
 Spangled Bann-^r, by Francis Scott Key. Our pcoplo want the Gov- 
 ernment to participate in this celebration for which other l.nlls have 
 been introduc d and have been referred to the proper connnittecs. 
 However, no money hf.s been grant^nl by the Government under any 
 bill exc pt that this bill provides for putting the grounds at Fort 
 McHenry in proper shap? and the erection of these memorials. I 
 do not propose myself to go into this matter fully as I have gentle- 
 men here who ar(^ even more familiar with it than I am, and with 
 the committee's h^ave I want to introduce to you his Honor, Mayor 
 Preston, of Baltimor?, who will speak to you upon this bill. 
 
 STATEMENT OF EOI^. JAMES H. PEESTON, MAYOE OF THE 
 
 CITY OF BAITIMOBE. 
 
 Mr. Preston. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committer, I 
 coni> with a twofold purpos:\ I thought, in the hrst place, that 
 nothing would bo more instructive to the committee and notliing 
 would be so pleasant for us as to have the presence of the committee 
 in Baltimore to examine and look over Fort McHenry and see its 
 actual existing situation and condition. Therefore, I am here on 
 b?half of the city of Baltimore to extend to tlie full committee, or 
 to a subcommittee, as you gentlemen may prefer, an invitation to 
 come to Baltimore some Saturday afternoon or some Saturday 
 morning, and let us take you down to the fort in automobiles and 
 have luncheon with me at the Maryland Club and then we will get 
 back in the afternoon as early as you may desire. By this means 
 you will see the situation. You will see how badly the Governmejit 
 has been taking care of this historic old fort, and you will see the ncQd 
 of some repairs and some renewals. You will also see the nerd of 
 the construction of roads, and I hope you w^ill also see the desir- 
 ability of a permanent memorial to the days 100 years ago vdien the 
 citizen soldiery of Baltimore saved the Nation, and brought about 
 the treaty of Ghent two months later, and also brought about the 
 continued existence of the great country which we now enjoy. 
 
 This is a matter of deep feeling with us in Baltimore and is a mat- 
 ter of deep interest to all Americans who love their countr}^, and 
 especially a matter of deep interest to the historical associations all 
 over the country. 
 
 We are accompanied to-day, after the briefest kind of notice, b}^ 
 the most distinguished of our citizenship, the heads of our great trade 
 organizations, the heads of our great civic bodies, and men connected 
 
FORT McHENEY, MD. -5 
 
 with our great mercantile estabUsliments, our railroads, and our public 
 authorities. For the purpose of having it in the notes, I would say 
 that we have with us Mr. Albert Hughes, a leading merchant of 
 Baltimore and vice president of the National Bank of Baltimore; 
 Mr. Frank N. Hoen, of A. Hoen & Co., hthographers, and vice presi- 
 dent of the German Bank; Mr. George R. Willis, a prominent lawyer 
 and a director of the Second National Bank, who represents here the 
 Clearing House of Baltimore; Dr. A. B. Bibbins, chairman of the 
 executive committee of the 1914 celebration; Mr. Herbert Sheridan, 
 in charge of transportation for the chamber of commerce; Maj. E. A. 
 Walton, superintendent of transportation of the B. & O. Railroad; 
 Mr. Robert E. Lee, representing the Federation of Labor; Mr. Ham- 
 ilton G. Fant, of the C. D. Kenney Co.; Col. Jerome Joyce, ex-presi- 
 dent National Hotel Association and a member of the committee of 
 the 1914 celebration; Mr. Rufus M. Gibbs, president of the board of 
 trade, our most distinguished business organization, comprising in 
 its membership all of the other trade organizations and business 
 organizations of our city and port; Mr. PhiUp D. Heuisler and Mr. 
 Joseph F. Heinz, of the Emerson Drug Co.; and myself, as the mayor 
 of Baltimore; and lastly, though not least by any means. Representa- 
 tives Covington, Smith, Coady, and Linthicum. 
 
 Fort McHenry, gentlemen, occupies a singular and an unusual 
 position in our harbor. It is in the midst of our city and shipping, 
 and transportation is all around it. It coi^sists of 38 acres of hmd, 
 the most valuable single piece of land in the possession of the War 
 Department or the Government. This old, abandoned piece of land 
 in the very heart of our city is worth probably $1,000,000, surrounded 
 by shipping, in inunediate touch with the great railroad terminals, 
 and the Government has allowed it to lie fallow, to grow up in weeds 
 and briars and sedge, with' one man in charge of that great mihtary 
 reservation representing the Government. 
 
 Now, gentlemen, I am going to come to the question wliich I con- 
 sider the very gist of the matter, and that is this: We have just been 
 before the Committee on Mihtary Affairs and we said to them: "We 
 want to have Mr. Roosevelt, we want to have Mr. Taft, and we want 
 to have Mr. Wilson come to Baltimore in September." Those gen- 
 tlemen have all accepted the invitation. We are going to have the 
 governors of the 18 States of the Union at that time come to Balti- 
 more with their mihtia and their troops. They are going to be in and 
 around Fort McHenry. It docs not seem to me in keeping with the 
 dignity of our Government that this old field shall lie fallow in its 
 present condition. 
 
 We appeared before the Military Affairs Committee and said, 
 " Gentlemen, fix this place up, put it in charge of soldiery, put it in 
 condition for ordinary observation on the part of visitors to our 
 harbor and our city, and do not let it be a disgrace, not only to 
 Baltimore city, but to the Government of our country." They said 
 to us, "Gentlemen, we have no money to do that witii. The Congress 
 is very zealous of military expenditures on the part of the Army, and 
 we have no money we can appropriate for that purpose. Tlie best 
 thing v/e can do is to let you take care of it yourselves." I conferred 
 with our city authorities, and what was the result ? The result was 
 that the Government said to us, "Now, gentlemen, we have this old, 
 abandoned, historic fort with its many associations, Ijang in the 
 
6 FORT McHENEY, MD. ' 
 
 heart of your harbor; we have no troops there, we are not occupying; 
 it in any sense, and only have a keeper there. But if you want to 
 take charge of it and use it as part of your park system we mh let 
 you do that as tenants at will." 
 
 Mr. Sherley. You do not think that is a burden upon you. do you, 
 to give you the use of a million dollars' worth of propert}^ in the 
 heart of your city for park purposes ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. I was coming to that question in a moment, sir. 
 Unless this committee takes some action, we will have to maintain it 
 in its present condition. Y\fe are building $2,000,000 worth of streets 
 in that section. We are building the Key Ilighwa}^, Covington 
 Street, and spending that amount of money in streets to give access 
 to the fort. If we had a long lease on this propert}^, if we were going 
 to use it for any purpose which would be advantageous from any 
 standpoint other than a sentimental standpoint, of course we coidd 
 make money and rent it 
 
 Mr. Sherley (interpop-ing) . But is it not of value as a park? 
 
 Mr. Prestox. But this is the proposition as I see it, Mr. Sherley, 
 and I stated this before the Committee on MiUtaiv Affairs wdien 
 I was met with that objection. How would you feel if a l/rother of 
 yours were to say to you, "I have an old, (Jlapidated house on 
 Fifth Avenue in Nev/ York, or on Madison Avenue in Baltimore; 
 you can take it as a tenant at will and live in it "' 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). Suppose. Mr. Mayor, I wcro clamor- 
 ing to have him spend a lot of money on it for my benefit and he were 
 to say to me, ''If you want to use that house go ahead and use it and 
 fix it up to suit yourself?" 
 
 Mr. Preston. I do not think you would do that. lu oider to put 
 Fort McHenry in proper conditiou, to put in roads and put the build- 
 ings in habitable conditiou, would cost hundreds of thousands of 
 dollars. I do not know how many — ojie, two, or three hundred thou- 
 sand dollars. 
 
 The Chairman. But when you would have a magnificent park of 
 38 acres ^\dthout any capital investment. 
 
 Mr. Preston. But with a maintenance investment whicii wo are 
 ready and willing to undertake; but we are not ready and willing to 
 spend $100,000 or $200,000 on Government property, with the Gov- 
 ernment having the right to do what it probably will do, and what 
 Gen. Aleshire says he is ready to do, take it over the next year, wlien 
 our capital investment would be lost. 
 
 This is the situation, my friends, if you had a friend who offered you 
 a dilapidated house to live in free, and the occupation of that house 
 involved an expenditure of a large sum of money in permanent better- 
 ments, what would you sa}^ to liim? You would say to him, ''I do 
 not want it." We are not asking for Fort McHenry. We are asking 
 the Government to handle Fort McHenry as it handles other Govern- 
 ment reservations, as it handles the reservation on tlie Hudson River 
 at West Point, and as it handles the reservation at Pensacola, Fla. 
 
 The Chairman. What has the Government done at West Point ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. I only quote you what Gen. Aleshire has said, and 
 I refer you to his remarks before the ^Military Affairs Committee. 
 
 The Chairman. I would like to know what the Government has 
 done at West Point to put it in the same category. 
 
POET McHENEY, MD. , 7 
 
 Mr. Preston. You have a Government reservation there which is 
 not needed for niiUtary purposes on which I understand has been 
 spent $150,000. 
 
 The Chairman. I am not famihar Avith any such expenditure and 
 I am pretty famihar with West Point. 
 
 ^Ir. Preston. I am not very famihar mth West Point, but I am 
 very familiar with what took place before the IViihtary Affairs Com- 
 mittee and it may be I can find you exactly what was said there. 
 
 The Chairman. Do you refer to Constitution Island ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Fort Bentham. Mr. Lmthicum will find the 
 quotation. 
 
 We are here to ask two things, broadly; one is that the property 
 which you propose to turn over to us, as tenants at will, be put in 
 reasonable habitable condition, and after that it shall cost the 
 Government nothing to maintain it, with the right in the Govern- 
 ment to come the next day and say we want the property back. 
 Secondly, we are asking the Government for patriotic reasons, in 
 view of the work that the citizen soldiery did in the salvation of 
 this Nation in 1814, in view of the 100 years centmarv of the writing 
 of the Star Spangled Banner and the bombardment oi Fort McHenry 
 and the battle at North Point, to erect a permanent memorial to the 
 work done by the defenders there, as Baltimore City is to-day build- 
 ing a monument to Key, to be unveiled next year, and building a 
 monument to Col. Armistead which is to be unveiled next September. 
 We are asking the Government to take some steps, not in contributing 
 to this celebration, but to putting its ovrn property, lying m the midst 
 of the city of Baltmiore, in reasonable, decent, presentable condition. 
 
 !Mr. Sherley. Now, ]\Ii\ Mayor, you have already passed through 
 the House of Representatives a bill permitting you to take possession 
 of this property, to use your phrase,' as tenants at mil. Why was it 
 not not made a condition to that transfer at the time the bill was put 
 through the House that the Government should spend a certain 
 amount of money on it ^ There was not anything said about that. 
 There was such a provision, as I now recall, in the bill, and it was 
 afterwards stricken out in order to get the bill through. After 
 getting the bill through mth that provision stricken out, are you 
 gentlemen in a position to come here in all fauness.and ask us in 
 another bill to put it back m ? 
 
 Mr. Covington. Will you permit me to interrupt you to answer 
 the gentleman from Kentucky ? Mr. Sherley is as shrewd a parliamen- 
 tarian as there is in this House 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). That bill had a paragraph appro- 
 priatmg $10,000 for putting the work in condition, and the Com- 
 mittee on ]\lilitary Affairs in reporting the Inll reported it with an 
 amendment striking out that paragraph, and that amendment was 
 agreed to by the House and the bill was passed. 
 
 Mr. Covington. I want to say this: I happened to be in the House 
 at that time. It was not a bill I had charge of, because I do not live 
 in that section of the State, but the gentleman from Kentucky and 
 the distinguished chairman of this committee are two of the shrewdest 
 parliamentarians in the House of Representatives. They very well 
 know that that bill was of a character that would only turn up in 
 two ways on the calendar. It either must be called up by unani- 
 mous consent on one of the mianimous-consent days or it had to take 
 
8 POET McHENKY, MD. 
 
 its chances when the Committee on MiUtary Affairs was reached on a 
 Calendar Wednesday. The pecuUar position of the Committee on 
 MiUtary Affairs as to Calendar Wednesdays was such that we do not 
 know when it may ever be reached agam on a Calendar Wednesday, 
 and the gentleman from New York knows very well that on two suc- 
 cessive Mondays the very astute minority leader, Mr. Mann, practi- 
 cally demanded that that provision should be eliminated from the 
 bill before he would yield and give his unanimous consent. 
 
 The Chairman. No; the Committee on Military Affairs declmed 
 to report the bill carrying any appropriation, and reported it with 
 an amendment striking the appropriation out. 
 
 Mr. CoviXGTox. That is true. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Now, take your own statement, Mr. Covington. 
 You also know parliamentary law, and you know perfectly well that 
 the bill never could have been considered or passed if it had carried 
 a burden upon the Treasury. Now, the point I make is 
 
 Mr. CoviXGTox (interposmg). That bill could not; certamly not, 
 Mr. Sherley. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. I mean that particular bill. Now, you come in and 
 get a concession on certain conditions, one of them being that there 
 shall be no burden upon the Government. 
 
 Mr. CovixGTON. Surely. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Now, having gotten that concession, you undertake 
 from that vantage ground to come and ask us for an a])propriation. 
 
 Mr. CovixGTOx. Yes: and I very well recall another famous fight, 
 in Vv'hich we happened to be on the same side of the proposition, 
 when this condition occurred a condition, by the way, of no more 
 serious moment than the present one that his honor tlie mayor of 
 Baltimore represents, when the rather ecpiivocal celebration at San 
 Francisco was under consideration. There was vrith great eclat 
 proclaimed before this House by Mr. Kahn and other gentlemen 
 the very same substantive proposition you refer to, and the only 
 way that bill was ever gotten up was by a disclaimer that they would 
 ever come to this Appropriations Committee. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Are 3^ou referring to the deception practiced upon 
 the House on that occasion as a precedent for this ? 
 
 IVIi-. CovixGTox. No, sir; I do not thiiik there was deception 
 practiced upon the House, but wlien the time came and the expo- 
 sition was an established fact and a memorial was to be established 
 to an event in American history no more momentous than the 
 memorial to the defenders at Fort McHenry, which, after all, crys- 
 tallized the emancipation of this Nation in its trade fight with Great 
 Britain — wlien the question of the Pan.ama -Pacific Exposition was 
 before us and the lionor of the American Government su'nsequontly 
 became at stake, I have a very vivid recollection that the gentle- 
 man from Kentucky, among others of us, was quite willing in the 
 last analysis to see one-half million dollars appropriated under cir- 
 cumstances sunounding that Panama Pacific Exposition at San 
 Francisco that were no more momentous than this. 
 
 The Chairmax. The gentleman is mistaken. What happened in 
 that connection was this: They asked for $2,000,000 
 
 Mr. CoviXGTOx (interposing). And we all, you and Mr. Sherley a,nd 
 myself, very gracefully yielded to an appropriation of one-half million 
 
FOKT McHENEY, MD. 9 
 
 dollars. I did not mean to interpose any remarks just at this time, 
 but I was so familiar -^dth other circumstances that I wanted to reply 
 to the statements made. 
 
 The Chairman. Congi-ess recomm.ended an appropriation of a half 
 a milhon dollars for a Government exhibit to be installed in a building 
 to be furnished by the Panama Exposition Co. 
 
 Mr. CoviXGTOX. Yes. Now, tl re is just one other thought that 
 occurs to me at this time, and I am sure that none of the gentlemen 
 on this committee, \\'ith their knowledge of history, will for one 
 moment gainsay this: The circumstances surrounding the Knoxville 
 Exposition are in no sense comparable ^^-ith the events that took place 
 at Fort McHenry. 
 
 Mr. SiiERLEY. And I did my best to prevent that appropriation. 
 
 Mr. CoviXGTOX. I understand you did, Mr. Sherley, but some did 
 not, and when this House has gone on record to the extent of appro- 
 priating $100,000 to perpetuate that rather equivocal celebration at 
 Knox^^lle, I think it would not be going out of its way to grant this 
 request. 
 
 Tlie Chaiemax. There are four things proposed in this bill: First, 
 the erection of a flagstaff and monument in honor of Francis Scott 
 Key; second, the erection of a building to be kno^^^l as Defenders' 
 Memorial Hall; third, the erection upon a lot kno\\m as "Dr. Houck's 
 Acre" a monument to the citizen soldiers of Maryland, Virginia, and 
 Pennsylvania; and fourth, th.P expenditure of a certain amount of 
 money to put Fort McHenry in usable shape. I understand, Mr. 
 Mayor, you stated it will take -$100,000 or 8200,000 to do that ? 
 
 Mr. Prestox. The bill, of course, gentlemen, is subject entirely to 
 your approval, and I am simply naming what appeals to us to be fair 
 and just, but, of course, we ^\iU be satisfied with any findings the com- 
 mittee ^^ill make. 
 
 The Chairmax. I simplv want to get some information. I urider- 
 stood you to say it woukftake S100,000 or S200,000 to properly fit 
 up Fort McHenry for use as a park ? 
 
 Mr. Prestox. I would think so. 
 
 The Chairmax. The bill as introduced in the House by Mr. 
 Linthicum providing for the use of Fort McHenry carried an appro- 
 priation of S10,000 to put it in condition to be used as a park by the 
 city of Baltimore. 
 
 Mr. Prestox. I do not know an3"ihing about that. 
 
 The Chairman. I do not, either. It was in the bill proposed by 
 Mr. Linthicum. 
 
 Mr. LiXTHicuM. Let me answer that que-tion. I want to sa) that 
 the mayor was not even cognizant of that provision in the bill. 
 I took the matter up ^\'ith the War Department and told them I 
 thought certain buildings and roads there ought to be repaii^ed when 
 they turned it over, and I asked them whether they would have any 
 objection to a small appropriation to put the place in shape, and I 
 told them at that time about having a bill before this committee to 
 provide for the general repairing of the fort and putting it in shape, 
 and they said they had not any objection to a small appropriation 
 to take care of the immecUate repair of the buildings; but that was 
 stricken out, as you know, by the committee. 
 
 The Chairmax. An appropriation of 8500,000 is requested in this 
 bill and I desire some information as to the anount of money re- 
 
10 . FOKT McHENRY, MD. 
 
 quired for the purposes specified in the bill; how much for the monu- 
 ment and flagstaff, how much for the memorial hall, how much for 
 the monument on North Point Battlefield, and how much to put the 
 fort in the condition you say it should be in ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. This is the proposition we are puttmg before you^ 
 broadly, Mr. Chairman. There are, I imagme, several miles of roads, 
 one road that should lead around the entire water front. Now, it 
 has been our experience that it costs in Marj^land to make country 
 roads $12,000 or $15,000 a mile. If you build streets or a good road 
 in the city it costs a great deal more. That is largely conjectural; 
 but I call your attention to the fact that the money is to be ex- 
 pended under the direction of the Secretary of War or his representa- 
 tives. 
 
 The Chairman. Mr. Mayor, that is not w^hat we wish to know. 
 Here is a bill ]:)roposing four different things and asking an appro- 
 priation of $500,000 to enable them to be done. This committee 
 wants information as to how much is to be expended upon each one 
 of the proposed projects. 
 
 Mr. Preston. Will you let Mr. Bibbms answer that question in a 
 moment, when I shall have concluded ? 
 
 The Chairman. Yes. . 
 
 Mr. Preston. In my judgment, gentlemen, the bill lays down two 
 broad requests, either of which or both this committee can decline. 
 Of course, the committee can say, "You can get nothing from the 
 Government except this old field, which you can fix up and spend 
 your own money on and which we can take back the next day if we 
 want it." I do not tliink that is a reasonable proposition. I do not 
 think it is the way the matter ought to be put up to Baltimore cit\. 
 However, the committee can do another thing. There are two things 
 w^e are asking to be done: One is that a memorial to the war and to 
 the events of 1814 be established by a permanent mem >rial, and the 
 other thing is that the property be ])ut into tenantable condition. 
 Not that you shall pay the cost of maintenance, but before you turn 
 it over to Baltimore city to handle you do not require us to put better- 
 ments and improvements on 3''our pro])erty which we ma}' lose in a 
 day or a week or a month or a year and have our capital account 
 entire!}'' wiped out. We can not face our people wdth any such 
 expectation. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. For how long a time would you like to have the 
 pro]:)erty ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. I do not know, sir. If the city of Baltimare spent 
 $100,000 on the property, as a reasonable matter I should say ten or 
 twenty or thirty years. The Government would not give it t.) us on 
 any such terms, because the Government may need it day after 
 to-morrow for war purposes; it may need it for the storage of sup- 
 plies. We are building a railroad reaching there for their own 
 purposes. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. If the Government needed it for war purposes and 
 if it were private property the Government vvould take it and use it. 
 
 Mr. Preston. But in this case they would not reimburse the city. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Well, let us get at fclie facts: There is no probability 
 on earth that the Government \\t11 ever use this property for war 
 purposes. I happen to be the chairman of the subcommittee on 
 fortifications, and from the standpoint of fortifications, it is clear out 
 
FORT McHENEY, MD. 11 
 
 of the question. If you people should expend $100,000 for the 
 improvement of these grounds, would not that improvement be of 
 value to the citv of Baltimore, even if the property should come 
 back into the hands of the Federal Government ? Is there any prop- 
 erty that' the Federal Government now has in the way of grounds 
 around lighthouses or grounds around hospitals or grounds around 
 any other institution of the Government, except in the case of arse- 
 nals, that is not always open to the use of the public, and would no' 
 whatever park improvements you made there — and that is what you 
 would expend that $100,000 for— always be of value to the city of 
 Baltimore ? 
 
 Mr. Prestox. You want my ansAver to that: Let me suggest that 
 it is not only possible that the Government wall require the grounds 
 back, but it is extremely probable that they mil require them back 
 at any moment. 
 
 Mr^ Sherley. For what purpose ? 
 
 Mr. Prestox. For War Department purposes. I say that because 
 that statement was made by Gen. Aleshire. 
 
 The Chairman, if that be the fact, then this committee would not 
 be justified in expending money for park improvements. That 
 expenditure would not be justified if there is any likelihood of the ' 
 property being taken for War Department purposes. 
 
 IMr. Preston. We are not asking you to spend money to maintain 
 this park. 
 
 Mr. Sheeley. But you are asking us to fix it up. Now, you are 
 asking us to fix it up upon the theory that you can not afford to do it, 
 because its use for the purpose tliat you would fLx it up for is so un- 
 certain as to not warrant the city of Baltimore in making the expendi- 
 ture. Now, as has been suggested by the chairman, if it is uncertain 
 for the city of Baltimore it is equally uncertain for the Federal Gov- 
 ernment 
 
 Ml'. Preston (interposing). Not for fixing it up, because that would 
 be necessary whether you authorize it for park purposes or whether 
 you use it for military purposes. For whatever purpose you may use 
 it, you must maintain your reservation. You must fix those old 
 buildings up. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. You do not expect that property to be used for 
 mihtary purposes, do you? If you do, you are the only man who 
 does. Of course, I do not mean that offensively, but no man who 
 understands the technical requu-ements for modern fortifications does 
 expect that property to be so used. They would not think of using 
 that as a fort. 
 
 Mi\ Preston. Of course, I do not know. I hope it will be a long 
 time before the Government will use anything for war purposes. But 
 you ought to use it for sometliing; you ought to use that property for 
 something, and not let it lie there, as an old field. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHiCLnvi. The buildings are in need of repair. 
 
 Mr. Preston. The buildings are in need of repair, and you ought 
 to do something about it. 
 
 The Chairman. Why is the Federal Government under obligations 
 to do more wdth its property than a private individual ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. But a private individual would do it. The Federal 
 Government has 38 acres of land there in the heart of the harbor, 
 and we have not been able to obtain enough land on which to erect 
 
12 FOKT McHENEY, MD. 
 
 an immigration station for the Government. The Government had 
 to go down and carve a corner off the Fort McHenry reservation for 
 its immigration station. This property ought not to be abandoned; 
 that is bad business; it is bad business, whether it is the Govern- 
 ment's or a private individual's. It is bad business to abandon it, 
 and it should be utilized for some purpose. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. You do not want to create a use for it just in order 
 to utilize it, do you ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. You maintain your parks here in Yv^ashington — you 
 have beautiful parks — and you should fix up this reservation at 
 Baltimore. Is there any reason why the city of Baltimore, which 
 pours into the coffers of the Nation $10,000,000 annually, should not 
 have some consideration ? 
 
 Mr. Sherley. On that theory my city should have a great deal of 
 consideration, because she contributes so much in tiie way of internal- 
 revenue taxes. There is nothing in that argument, because even if 
 Baltimore pays more in taxes to the Government than any other place 
 it is simply the medium through which it is paid. 
 
 Mr. Preston. That is true; but still, the medium is entitled to 
 some consideration. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. The thing before the committee is a different prop- 
 osition. I agree with you that it is desirable to have, instead of a 
 weed grown j^lace, a place that can be of use to your city, and because 
 of that fact we are willing for you to use it for that purpose. Now, 
 your people are unduly concerned lest Uncle Sam will take it back. 
 If you thought that Uncle Sam was going to use this property inside 
 of a year, you would not have been concerned about getting it trans- 
 ferred at all. Now, the question is whether the Federal Government 
 or the city of Baltimore should expend the money for the necessary 
 improvements in order that it may be used for park purposes, and 
 inasmuch as the city of Baltimore wiU derive the direct benefit it 
 seems to me that they should bear the direct burden of the improve- 
 ments. 
 
 Mr. Preston. Of course, you are to determine this question; but 
 I do not agree with you. I do not think it is reasonable for the 
 Federal Government to expect the city to' put permanent improve- 
 ment on the property, especially in view of the fact that the Gov- 
 ernment has the expectation of using it. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. But the Government has no such expectation. 
 
 Mr. Preston. Of course, I can go no further than to say that that 
 statement was made by the Quartermaster General of the Army. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. I would like to h-.ive his statement read. I would 
 like to know for what purpose he proposes to use it. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Gen. Aleshire made that statement. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Lot us have exactly what he said. 
 
 Mr. Preston. I have not that record. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. This is not only a question of making roads, but 
 there are a lot of valuable buildings there going to ruin, and we think 
 they ought to be put in order for use. Gen. Aleshire said that he 
 wanted the buildings close along the water front. He wants to use 
 some of those buildings for the shipment of supplies by water as well 
 as by rail, and for that purpose he consented that $10,000 be inserted 
 in the bill for the purpose of putting those buildings in order and to 
 take care of them at present. There is a hospital building there that 
 
FORT McHENRY, MD. 13 
 
 you could not put up for less than about $50,000, and there are three 
 or four other buildings right along the water front, and you could not 
 put any of them up for less than $10,000 apiece. Those buildings we 
 want to keep in order, and we think the Government ought to be will- 
 ing to put them in order. After they are put in order we w^ill take care 
 of them. We are in a peculiar position in Baltiaiore. Our railways 
 pay us a certain percentage of their gross income, and the city uses 
 that money for the purpose of taking care of park property. They 
 do not use any part of that money in the purchase of property, ])ut 
 they use it for the purpose of keeping up property. Therefore i:, this 
 property is put in order, the city will be in a good position to take care 
 of it ; but we do think that the Federal Government ought to , put its 
 buildings in order when they turn them over to us. The bill does not 
 rest entirely on that; but we are asking for certain memorials, and 
 Dr. Bibbin;<, who is chairman of the executive committee, will give 
 you an account of them. It is the proposition of the people of Bal- 
 timore, after these buildings are put in order, to take care of them, and 
 it is also their proposition to take care of the memorials that are asked, 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. What tlo you mean by taking care of them ? 
 
 Mr. LiNTiiicuM. By keeping them in repair. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. Do you mean the Government buildings? 
 
 Mr. LiNTiiicuM. Yes, sir; we will take care of the whole business 
 without any expense to the Federal Government at all. But we 
 think you ought to turn them over to us in good repair. The property 
 should be put in order before it is turned over to us. The roads are 
 washed out, and we propose to take care of them out of our railway 
 fund. I might say that that is due to the foresight of our city 
 authorities, that a percentage of the gross income of the railways 
 shall be paid to the city for the purpose of taking care of its paiks. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. You have suggested that the Government may per- 
 haps still have to use this property for Government puiposes? 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Yes, sir. Gen. Aleshire expects to use three or 
 four of the buildings on the water front within a short time for the 
 purpose of shipping Army supplies out by water and by rail. 
 
 The Chairman. What he would use, then, would be the buildings, 
 and that would not interfere with your use of the land for park 
 piiiposes, 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. I do not think so, so far as the grounds are con- 
 cerned. I do not think they will ever use that, but if war should take 
 place, the buildings will be found to be advantageous. There are 
 barracks there that would accommodate perhaps 1,000 soldieis in 
 time of war. They are located right there at deep water, and soldiers 
 and supplies could be sent readily from that place. But if the build- 
 ings are allowed to rot and go to ruin, it will be a big loss to the 
 Government, because they could not be replaced for perhaps less than 
 S250,000 or $300,000. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Eliminating from our consideration the question of 
 the monuments and the celebration of this occasion, and consideiing 
 the question of improvements, pure and simple, is it your idea that 
 the Government should simply put these buildings in proper con- 
 dition ? 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Yes, sir; and the roads. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. What do you mean by the roads ? 
 
14 FOET McHENRY, MD. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. I think there are 38 acres 
 
 Mr. Sherley (mterposing). What I want to know is whether you 
 are not confusing your request for the improvement of these build- 
 ings that you say the Government may use for warehouse pur- 
 poses 
 
 Mr. LiXTHicuM (interposing). And hospital. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Is there a hospital there ''. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Yes, sir; there is a hospital building there which 
 would cost, perhaps, S50,000. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. You do not think the Government \\ill maintain a 
 hospital there, do you ? 
 
 Mr. LiXTHicuM. No, sir; but I think the Government ought to 
 take care of the building. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. What do you mean by building roads ? 
 
 Mr. Linthicum. Just putting the roads already there in good 
 order. 
 
 Mr. Prestox. There is one new road project. There are 38 acres 
 of land, and a road running through it. There is also projected a 
 road around the sea wall. Here [indicating] is a plat of the property. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. What is the propert}^ worth ? 
 
 Mr. LixthjCUM. I do not beheve that you could get the Govern- 
 ment to sell that property. The patriotic people of this country 
 would not consent to such a thing. I am quite sure that if I tried it 
 I would have to move out of Baltimore, and the mayor has suggested 
 that if he undertook it, he would have to move out. 
 
 I would like nov/ for you to hear Dr. Bibbins, who can explain the 
 cost of the memorial, etc. 
 
 The Chairman. We would hke to have some statement in regard 
 to that. 
 
 Mr. MoxDELL. Mayor Preston, does the city contemplate using any 
 of the buildings on these grounds ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. No, sir; I thuik it is thought if we could get the 
 memorial some of these buildings, which are in a moribund condition, 
 will be torn dowii. All the other buildings \\-ill be utihzed by the 
 Quartermaster Department of the United States Army. 
 
 Mr. MoxDELL. You say they \\all be used by the Army ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Yes, sir; they will be and are now. 
 
 Mr. MoxDELL. Are they using them now? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Yes, sir"; they are used for the storage of quarter- 
 master supplies and will be continued to be used for that purpose to 
 an increased extent. The citv of Baltimore is buildin<r a railroad 
 ^Q\w\ to it, and it was a condition of the grant by the PubHc Buildings 
 and Grounds Committee that this railroad spur should be run m there. 
 
 Mr. ]\Iondell. What is this hospital building that has been spoken 
 of utilized for ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. No tiling; that is vacant. 
 
 Mr. MoNDELL. Are the barracl« and quarters occupied ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Oh, no. There is only one man there o\\ this whole 
 tract representhig the Government. 
 
 Mr. MoNDELL. But I understood you to say that the Quartermaster 
 Department was using these buildings ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. They store suppHes in them and move them away. 
 They have things stored there now and are going to extend that use 
 very much. 
 
rOET McHENRY, MD. 15 
 
 Mr. MoNDELL. That is, they are utilizing some of the buildings as 
 storehouses ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Yes, sir; they are utilizing some of the barracks, 
 I tliuik, for storage purposes. There are 25 or 30 buildings and I 
 would say that most of them are vacant. Most of them are in very 
 bad condition — the papering is falling off and the plastering also. 
 
 Mr. MoNDELL. Under the bill that passed the House the other day, 
 was it contemplated that the city would utilize some of these buildings 
 for any purpose ? 
 
 Mr. Preston. No, sir. We have no use for them at all. We did 
 not Avant the property. It is going to be an expense to us; but we 
 asked that tins sore spot, this scandal, be removed, and to let us do 
 it ourselves in some way. 
 
 The Chairman. Mr. Preston, the War Department has available 
 during the present 3'ear for the purpose of keeping such buildings 
 and grounds, $2,073,600, which is placed at the disposal of the War 
 Department to be expended upon such buildings and such grounds 
 as they think essential for the proper conduct of the Government's 
 business. This committee could not undertake to appropriate money 
 to supplement such an appropriation. 'WT^io is the gentleman you 
 say is to speak as to the cost 01 the several projects? 
 
 Mr. Preston. Mr. Bibbins. 
 
 STATEMENT OF ME. A. B. BIBBINS, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, 
 NATIONAL STAR SPANGLED BANNER CENTENNIAL COM- 
 MISSION. 
 
 Mr. Bibbins. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, the 
 question that has just been raised regardmg the sale of Fort McHenry 
 makes me feel that we need about three or four minutes of history 
 here, and with your permission I want to mention a few historical 
 pomts. These events include the successful defense of Baltimore 
 immediately following the capture and burnmg of Washington. As 
 soon as the news of the repulse of the enemy at Baltimore reached 
 the commissioners at Ghent, the American commissioners, after 
 weary months of discouragement, were at once able to secure accept- 
 able terms of peace. This happy result brought our second war for 
 independence to a close, and we were guaranteed commercial as well 
 as political freedom, and were at last the free Nation we had declared 
 ourselves to be 38 years before. The strategic importance of the 
 victory at Baltimore can only be realized when it is remembered that 
 it was the avowed plan of the British after the capture of Baltimore 
 to march north from the head of the bay, unite forces vnih their army 
 from Canada in the heart of the country, cut off New. England, and 
 once again reduce us to dependent colonies. With the Capitol 
 burned, the Government helpless and bankrupt, a vast section 
 opposed to the war and favoring separation, one can but feel that 
 the surrender of Baltimore might well have been fatal to the Nation 
 and the loss of everything for which the Revolutionary patriots had 
 striven. Let me for a moment recall the part which Baltimore and 
 Maryland had taken in this war before the final climax was reached. 
 
 Early in the conflict, when the bankrupt General Government 
 called for a loan of $16,000,000 from the then 18 states, Mary- 
 land appropriated $450,000, and Baltunore merchants subscribed 
 
16 FORT McHENRY, MD. 
 
 $3,000,000 — together, more than one-fifth of the whole, and this de- 
 spite the fact that Baltimore's conmerce had fallen from S14,000,000 
 to $238,000. 1 hese loans became the basis of our State and municipal 
 debts. When Baltimore discovered that none of this was available 
 for her own protection, she piucldly raised $1,000,000 more for local 
 defense, and it was because of this generous sacrifice, and the extra 
 secuiit}^ it made possible, that she was able to turn the tide of in- 
 vasion and save n.ot only herself, but the Nation. 
 
 Gentlemen, it is not necessary for us to enipha-ize the importance 
 of th.'- conservation of America's patriotic shrines. Here ave two, 
 who. e importance stand out boldly in the annals of American free- 
 dom. Here were fought the last two battles wliich sealed that free- 
 dom, and ushered in a century of peace, and an era of progress and 
 achievement unparalleled in history, culminating in the Panama Canal. 
 These shrines lie at the gateway of one of our great eastern ports, 
 midway between noith and south, from which point they are well 
 calculated to spread their message of peace and good will to all na- 
 tions flocking to our shores. We are asldng but a trifle as the Na- 
 tion's tribute to these shrines, to the end that the woiid may be 
 reassured that this great countr}^ is "too big and too poweiTul" — 
 as the President has recently said in another conriection — not to 
 cherish the memory of her defenders and their needs. We do not be- 
 lieve we need to do more than state our cause to so intelligent and 
 farsighted a body of citizens as compose this comnittee. 
 
 If another word of persuasion is needed, permit me to add that 
 the British Government long ago, honored the memory of brave 
 Gen. Ross, who lost the victory we won, by a handsome monu- 
 ment at Halifax, a cenotaph in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, and 
 the title and estate of Bladensburg for his family. In addition to 
 this, the British Government will shortly celebrate, in a very elabo- 
 rate way, the century of i)eace with the United States, insured by 
 the Treatv of Ghent, which we think we can claim was first insured 
 by the victories at Baltimore. "The land of the free, and the home 
 of the brave," must certainly not be outdone by the mother country, 
 or any other, in cherishing the memory of her defenders, nor permit 
 others to appropriate the laurels which belong to her own fair brow. 
 In a word, we believe that Congress should, if need be, lavish its 
 funds u])on such shrines as Fort McHenry and North Point, because 
 of their far-reaching significance. 
 
 Now, regarding the matter of how it is proposed to commemorate 
 this event, we have in mind the following use of the money which is 
 asked : 
 
 First. A Defenders' Memorial Hall, or a National Temple of Peace, 
 if you prefer to call it by that name, to cost $300,000. This should 
 be a steel fire-proof structure to occupy the pentagonal inclosure, 
 as suggested by Gen. Aleshire, within the Star Fort, with colonaded 
 superstructure and dome. Upon its walls at one end Pinkney's 
 terse declaration of war, and upon the other Key's glowing words of 
 dehverance and peace. Between these, mural paintings of the 
 bombardment and North Point battle scenes, and other notable 
 events associated with this war. Here will be collected aU the trophies, 
 relics, and souvenirs of both wars for independence, in which our 
 region abounds, but which are so rapidly disappearing. 
 
FOET McHENRY, MD. 17 
 
 Second, a monument to Francis Scott Key, in the flag bastion of 
 the fort, from which the Star Spangled Banner waved to him its 
 message of triumph — tliis to cost $100,000. 
 
 TMrd. A suitable steel flag staff with ornamental bronze base, 
 and summit of symboUc design to replace the present wooden struc- 
 ture upon the very spot where stood the flagstaff of 1814, this to 
 cost $5,000. We have in mind something like what you may see in 
 front of the Union Station here in Washington. 
 
 Fourth. A monument at North Point battlefield, where an acre 
 of ground was given for the purpose, and a cornerstone laid 75 years 
 ago — this to be erected to the citizen soldiers of Maryland, Virginia, 
 and Pennyslvania, who checked the enemy at this point, and fought 
 the last conflict between the British and Americans, before peace 
 was secured — this to cost $70,000. 
 
 Fifth. For putting the buildings and ground of Fort McHenry and 
 North Point in proper shape to receive these proposed memorial 
 structures, $25,000 \n\\ be required. 
 
 The city of Baltimore has made provision for the purchase and re- 
 storation of the old town residence of the signer of the Declaration, 
 Charles Carroll, of CarroUton, in commemoration of the centenary 
 of national independence. It is investing millions in the "Key 
 Highway" as a suitable approach to Fort McHenry. It has also in 
 preparation a monument to our Baltimore commander of the fort, 
 Col. Armistead, but we are sure you will agree with us that Congress 
 should erect the memorial to Key and the flag, the Defenders 
 Memorial Hall, and the Citizen Soldiers' Monument to the men who 
 preserved us as a nation. 
 
 I thank you for your attention. 
 
 The Chairman. How much did you say was to be expended on the 
 monument to the flag or to Francis Scott Key ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. $100,000for the Key monument. 
 
 The Chairman. And how much for the memorial hall? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. For that $300,000. 
 
 The Chairman. And how much for the monument on the North 
 Point Battlefield ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. For that, $70,000. 
 
 The Chairman. That would leave $30,000 for all the incidentals 
 and fixing up the grounds ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBixs. That_ would be $5,000 for the flagstaff and $25,000 
 to put these grounds in condition. 
 
 The Chairman. That would be $25,000 ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBixs. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman, That would leave $25,000 for the incidental ex- 
 penses. What is the memorial hall to be ? What is proposed ? This 
 does not mean anything unless it is explained. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. In the fii'st place, it would be a hall for patriotic 
 gatherings from all parts of the country. We have a great many 
 meetings of that sort in Baltimore, and I can not conceive anything 
 more appropriate on a battle field of that sort than this proposed 
 memorial would be. 
 
 The Chairman. What was the purpose in the minds of those who 
 suggested this ? What size or capacity is contemplated ? 
 
 35073—14 2 
 
18 FOKT McHENRY, MD 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. Gen. Aleshire suggested what I mentioned, that it 
 should be just inside of the pentagonal inclosure within the Star Fort. 
 
 The Chairman. I want to know what was in the minds of those who 
 suggested this type of memorial. I want to know what is to be the 
 capacity of it. Those who originated this plan must have had some- 
 thing in their minds. There must have been something in their 
 minds on wliich this estimate of $300,000 was based. That is the 
 information we wish. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. The best answer I can make to that is that a building 
 to fill that space would cost in the neighborhood of $300,000. 
 
 The Chairman. What would be the dimensions of it ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNs. I suppose the diameter of that space would be 150 
 or 175 feet. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. I am not sure that I understand what you mean. 
 This map shows a rectangular space marked " For memorial hall," and 
 I presume from your statement that you mean for it to be inside 
 the fort. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. Yes, sir. After conferring with some members of the 
 Military Commission, we changed it to meet their suggestions. 
 
 The Chairman. What is to be the capacity of the building? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. I suppose it would hold 2,000 or 3,000 people. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Do you think you have room enough inside that 
 fort for the memorial hall and still leave proper air space around ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNs. Yes, sir. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. The fort walls do not extend very high. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNs. The suggestion was to have a basement a little 
 above the terrace and the superstructure above that. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. What you are proposing to do is to put a rectangular 
 building in that space. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. No, sir; it will be pentagonal. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. It would come up higher than the walls of the 
 fort, so that practically the usable part of the building would look 
 out over the ramparts of the fort ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. $25,000 is the amount that would remain for the 
 rehabilitation of these existing buildings and to repair the roads ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. And that is all it is contemplated will be required ? 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. Yes, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Why can not the city of Baltimore do that ? 
 This contemplates an expenditure of $500,000, and of that amount 
 it is proposed to expend $25,000 for the purpose of putting these 
 buikhngs and grounds in suitable condition. 
 
 Mr. BiBBiNS. The proposed memorial hall would contain: Relics 
 of the War of 1812 and of the Revolutionaiy War; mural paintings 
 of the following subjects: Battle of North Point, Defense of Fort 
 McHenry, Treaty of Ghent, and Treaty of Paris; replica (or original) 
 Star-Spangled Banner; portrayals of War of 1812 and of the Revo- 
 lutionary War; busts; library of War of 1812 and Revolutionary 
 War literature. It could be used as a meeting place for patriotic 
 and other conventions, and the basement could be used as an armory, 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. I would like for you to hear Mr. Rufus M. Gibbs, 
 the president of the board of trade. 
 
FORT McHENRY, MD. 19 
 
 STATEMENT OF MR. RUFUS M. GIBBS, PRESIDENT BOARD OF 
 
 TRADE, BALTIMORE, MD. 
 
 Mr. GiBBs. Mr. Chairinaii and gentlemen of the committee, I will 
 not keep you long. If I did not have some other reason than the 
 thought, as a citizen of Baltimore, that anything we could get out 
 of the pubhc purse was that much profit, I would not be here at all. 
 I do naturally feel as a citizeri of Baltimore that we want this money, 
 and as a citizen of the United States I f-^el that the United States 
 ouirht to give it to us. My reasons for that view are based solely 
 upon the score of patriotism. We have armies of unemployed, made 
 up chiefly of unemployables, coming here to Washington; socialism, 
 anarchism, aiid all the other isms are rampant, and to-day mobs in 
 the chief cities of the country are invading the churches and profaning 
 the sanctity of the church." Now, if there is anythin.g at this time 
 that is going to act as a bulwark against all these new thoughts and 
 reckless ideas it is patriotism, and I thii k that this Government 
 should do everything that it can possibly do and that it should seize 
 every opportuiiity offered to foster and encourage any movement 
 of a* proper nature that is goirg to cultivate the idea of patriotism 
 and spread it broadcast throughout the lard. We have millions of 
 new immigrants iii this country who have no conception of patriotism, 
 as patriotism was understood by our forefathers. Nt)W, if there is 
 any one thing or any one mark in our history which shines out con- 
 spicuously, it consists of the acts and deeds in connection with this 
 pn -posed' celebration of the Battle of North Poir.t and the writing of 
 the Star-Span_gled Banner. It is an inspiration in the ssme way that 
 Lexington, Saratoga, and Yorktown are inspirations, and we are go- 
 ing to celebrate it. We want to impress it upon the country as a 
 whole, aiul I really think, gentlemen, that this question of increasing 
 the patriotism of our Nation is going to do a great deal toward hold- 
 ing things in check until wise counsels and prudent judgment can devise 
 ways and means for setthng the great economic questions that are 
 confronting us to-day. That is the chief argument that presents 
 itself to me. I do not know anytliing about the bills that have been 
 presented in Congress, and I can not answer any questior^s in regard 
 to them, but I do feel that the solidarity of the family is dependent 
 largely upon the respect in which the children of the family hold their 
 parents, and that the soUdarity and integrity of the Nation is largely 
 dependent upoii the love and respect in wl\ich the people of the nation 
 hold its history and traditions. ^ 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. Mr. Kobert E. Lee, as representative of the labor 
 organizations of Baltimore, and secretary of the centennial com- 
 mission, will now address you. 
 
 STATEMENT OF MR. ROBERT E. LEE, SECRETARY OF THE 
 
 CENTENNIAL COMMISSION. 
 
 Mr. Lee. ^>lr. Chairman and gentlemen of the comn-ittee, I feel 
 that Fort McIIenry is as important from the historical point of view 
 as any other spot "in the United States. We feel that we have been 
 patient and have suffered long, and that we have not asked the Gov- 
 ernm.ent with the eir.phasis that we ought to have put upon our ap- 
 plication to do anvthing for us in the way of spending money to 
 
20 FORT MrHENEY, MD 
 
 preserve the history of our country that is associated with Fort 
 McHenry. We ourselves are going to spend several hundred thou- 
 sand dollars in having a celebration wliich will be national, and we 
 hope international, in scope. We feel that if there ever was a time 
 when the Government should look with favor upon the question, 
 not so much as an investment, but from the standpoint of patriotic 
 ideas and sentiments, the one hundredth anniversary of the Battle of 
 North Point and the writing of the Star Spangled JBanner would be 
 that time. At that time, when we will have people from all over the 
 country visiting our city, we hope we will not have to say to them: 
 "This is Fort McHenry, about which your children have read in 
 school, and about which they are taught; this is the place where the 
 national anthem which they sing and reverence was written. This 
 reservation is the property of the Government, and it is sadly neg- 
 lected. It is a broomsage held, and the Government has not done 
 anything for it." I do not want to have to say that to the people 
 who visit our community, either native or naturalized, and there will 
 be there people from foreign lands, perhaps; but we want to say to 
 them: "This is the place where the national anthem was written, 
 and it blossom.s like the rose; the Government takes good care of it, 
 and we are proud in our possession of it." 
 
 Now, what has been done for other historic places in the United 
 States ? Boston has been very liberally looked after in all matters 
 of historical importance. They have done some of it themselves, 
 through the local government, but the Nati(Hial Government has also 
 done more there tjian it has done for Baltimore and Maryland. 
 Other places in the country have been liberally treated by the Con- 
 gress of the United States. We say that we are not here to prove to 
 you that in dollars and cents this will pay you; we are not here to 
 figure out as to whether or not it will be a good investment for the 
 Government, but we are here to say to you that this is a historic place 
 and that it deserves at your hands the same treatment that other 
 historic places have received. We want to say that we do not care 
 what kind of buildings your architects decide that we ouglit to have. 
 We do not care whether you say it should be a square building or a 
 round building, or whether it should be a high building or a low build- 
 ing. We are perfectly willing to take your views or those of tlie 
 Government's, architects upon that subject, because we know that 
 when the Government of the United States spends its money for the 
 construction of buildings, it is going to get full returns for its invest- 
 ment. We are willing to take your judgment as to the character of 
 the buildings. We will, of course, suggest what we would like to have, 
 but if our suggestions do not meet your approval. Congress will not 
 regard them, but everything will be done to the entire satisfaction 
 of the National Government. The buildings will be put to whatever 
 purpose Congress may determine. We want a memorail, which from 
 the national and historical point of view, will be in kecjnng ^\dth the 
 dignity of the occasion or event we are to celebrate, and we are per- 
 fectly satisfied that Congress shall determine what it shall be and 
 to what use it shall be put. We want to erect a permanent memorial 
 in commemoration of those battles and the vmting of tlie Star 
 Spangled Banner. 
 
 The Chaieman. To what use would this memorial building be put ? 
 
 Mr. Lee. To whatever use you may say. 
 
FORT McHENRY, MD. 21 
 
 The Chairman. We are not making any suggestions about that. 
 You are asking for a memorial hall. 
 
 Mr. Lee. We would be glad, if we should secure this appropriation, 
 to have the plans prepared and submitted to you or to the proper 
 Federal authorities for approval. Our main idea was that we wanted 
 the memorial, and we do not know whether it shall be a flagstaff or 
 building 
 
 The Chairman (interposing) . You are asking for a building to cost 
 $300,000, and I have asked you if you could state to what use such 
 a building would be put. 
 
 Mr. Lee. I can only state to what possible uses the Government 
 might be able to put it. I could imagine its use for a number of 
 purposes. I can imagine the use of the buildings for soldiers — ■ — 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). I am speaking (f the memorial hall; 
 it would not be erected for that purpose. 
 
 Mr. Lee. We will use it for whatever purpose you say. 
 
 The Chairman. You are requesting a $300,000 building, and this 
 committee is endeavoring to ascertain what is in the minds of those 
 who propose that building as to the use it should be put to. 
 
 Mr. Lee. What was in the minds of the people who suggested the 
 memorial hall was that it should be a building in which historical 
 societies and patriotic societies could hold conventions. 
 
 The Chairman. How often would the historical societies in various 
 parts of the country be hkely to go to Fort McHenry for the purpose 
 of holding their conventions ? 
 
 Mr. Lee. There might be statues in there and there might be paint- 
 ings in there. They might hold their conventions in that hall. It 
 could be used just as the Daughters of the American Revolution use 
 their building here in Washington. They use it every year for their 
 convention, and then in between times they use it for other things 
 in connection with the business in which they are engaged. We 
 figure that we can do the same thing in Baltimore. If the Govern- 
 ment can tell us what use should be made of tlie hall, we will be 
 perfectly \vilhng to abide the will of Congress in the matter. The 
 thing that we want to impress upon your committee is that we want 
 the Federal Government to become interested in Fort McHenry, 
 because Fort McHeniy is important enough for the Government to 
 be interested in it. We think that we have had to fight in this cause 
 long enough ; we have even had to ask the Government not to dispose 
 of that property to private enterprise. We have had to come over 
 to Congress a number of times when Senator Rayner was hving and 
 ask you to see to it that it was not abandoned altogehter. This 
 reservation has been sadly neglected; the buildings have become 
 dilapidated, and it is beginning to look worse than these yellow clay 
 hills outside of Washington. We think the national Government 
 ought to have a greater pride in a place where such an important 
 historical event occurred. We think that the Federal Government 
 on its own initiative should see that an important place of that kind 
 is properly preserved and handed down to generations yet unborn 
 as a place that they can point to and say, ''Here was written the 
 national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner." That is the way we 
 feel about it. 
 
 We want the Government, the National Government, to be identi- 
 fied with this spot. The National Government should be identified 
 
22 FOET McHENRY, MD. 
 
 with this memorial to Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star 
 Spangled Banner. We are here to appeal to you in the name of 
 sentiment and patriotism; we are here to urge in the name of patriot- 
 ism that the Federal Government shoukt be identified with this 
 memorial; we are not here to prove that this will be a profitable invest- 
 ment to the Government in dollars and cents, or that you could not 
 spend the money elsewhere more profitably in building coast defenses, 
 etc. We know that it is not suited for a fort; we know that it can not 
 be used for fortification purposes, but we do know that the Govern- 
 ment, by paying proper attention to this historic spot, will inculcate 
 the idea and principle of patriotism in the minds of those who see it. 
 Why, for instance, do people journey to that place in Texas simply to 
 see the little barracks where Houston and his immortal comrades 
 defended the State ? Why do people go down to see the old cathedrals 
 ancl institutions where the people worshiped ? Why do they spend 
 their money journeying to such places ? It is because these places 
 have been made inniiortal by the deeds that were wrought there. 
 That is why we want the people of this country to come to Fort 
 McHenry. We want the people to come there and see that our Gov- 
 ernment has not neglected this spot. It is now a barren tract; it is 
 now an old broom sage field. Yet, the National Government is 
 identified with the place where the Star Spangled Banner was written 
 and where some of the most important events of the War of 1812 
 took place. I have not surveyed that ground, and I do not know 
 what the dimensions of the building would be. I am not an architect 
 or a builder, but I know all that information can be obtained, and we 
 are willing to rely upon the wisdom of the Government in working 
 those details out. 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. You have asked several times al)out the use to which 
 the memorial liall could be put. I think tliat the vrord "memorial" 
 well expresses the use to which it could be put. I think the name 
 "Memorial Hall" indicates the use. Perhaps it does not indicate 
 the practical use, Init it indicates the same sort of use that the Wash- 
 ington monument is, as I see it from the window here. It is an 
 inspiration. 
 
 The Chairman. You do not believe that a hall is simply something 
 to look at? 
 
 Mr. GiBBs. That is true in part, but the hall itself would still be 
 used as a storehouse for interesting relics of both the War of 1812 and 
 the Revolutionary War. 
 
 The Chairman. Where would they come from ? 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. By gathering them from private sources. I am sure 
 there are many people in Baltimore who have valuable relics of both 
 wars. 
 
 The Chairman. Do you want to use it as a nuiseum ? 
 
 Mr. GiBBs. I am simply suggesting a use to which it could be put. 
 
 The Chairman. You are asking us to appropriate $300,000 for a 
 haU which is to be called "The Defenders' Memorial Hall," or "The 
 National Temple of Peace." Now, it is not unreasonable in us to 
 ask what the originators of this plan had in mind. 
 
 Mr. Gibes. The thouglit in my own mind was that a memorial hall 
 could be put to a very useful purpose, but the most useful purpose 
 of all is the fact that it is in commemoration of the soldiers who gave 
 their lives for their country 100 years ago. 
 
FOET McHENRY, MD. 23 
 
 Mr. Sherley. Here is the principal question that confronts this 
 committee: I think the committee has a proper appreciation of the 
 value of memorials and the desirabihty of properly inculcating patri- 
 otic sentiment in the minds of the peo'ple, but we also have an appre- 
 ciation of the perhaps exalted view taken by all of us touchmg the 
 things that are in our immediate neighborhood. Now, if we under- 
 took to build $300,000 memorials at every fort that has played some 
 important part in the history of America, we would have to appro- 
 priate tremendous sums of money. This committee must not only 
 consider the desirabihty of doing a particular thing, but the desira- 
 bihty of domg it in coiiiparison vnth other things that may also be 
 desirable, because we have presented to us proposals from all over 
 America, and it is very easy for one to make a very patriotic and 
 eloquent speech touching the commemoration of many events at 
 many places. I can on a moment's notice recite to you perhaps 50 
 places that all of us would agree abstractly are proper places to be 
 commemorated and preserved, and yet it is perfectly apparent that 
 Congress can not say yes to every proposal of that kind that is 
 presented. 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. There is no other fort that so well deserves com- 
 memoration 
 
 Mr. Sherley (interposing) . There are a number of forts that have 
 such claims; to make you a direct answer, there are a number of forts 
 that have more claim to such recognition by reason of their historic 
 associations. 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. We appreciate very much the responsibility of the 
 committee, and VvC also realize how easy it is for anyone to ask you 
 ior money on the general assumption that the pulViic purse is un- 
 limited 
 
 Mr. Bartlett (interposing). It is not unlimited, but from the way 
 demands are made upon it it vvould seem that there is an impression 
 that it is unlimited. 
 
 Ml-. GiBBS. Well, gentlemen, we are here and we have tried to 
 state our case to you. We have given you to the best of our ability 
 our reason for asking for this money. In the fu'st place, gentlemen, 
 we are perfectly serious in feeling that we are asking for something 
 that we have a right to ask Tor — not that we have a right to demand it, 
 but a right to ask for it, and we hope that your committee is going to 
 see the matter eventually in our way. 
 
 Mr. Sherley. I think your zeal is commendable, but I think that, 
 inasmuch as I particularlv have been shooting questions at you very 
 freely, I should bring to your consideration a little of the other side 
 
 of the case 
 
 Mr. GiBBS (int rposing). And it is a quite mt. resting presentation 
 of it that you have made. Your committee has suggested thnigs that 
 had not occurred to me before; but, superimposed above everything 
 else, I am impressed with the thought that if patriotism is something 
 that should be encouraged and if it is worth while to spend somethmg 
 in its encouragement, here is a good opportunity to spend some money 
 for that purpose. If you do not feel that way and if, in the wisdom of 
 this committ;v.>, this request can not be granted, we can only grace- 
 fully accept your judgment. 
 
 The Chairman. Why is it necessary to have four different monu- 
 ments ? Why would not one monumeiit answer the eiitire purpose ? 
 
24 FORT McHENKY, MD. 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. Because there are half a dozen roads leading to the same 
 termmal. 
 
 The Chairman. You are asking for a memorial hall, a monument 
 to Francis Scott Key, a flagstaff, and also a monument at the North 
 Point battle field. It seems to me that you are asking for a great 
 many things at once. 
 
 Mr. Borland. I was not here at the begmning of the hearings and 
 I want to know whether it is proposed that any part of this be done 
 by the city of Baltimore. 
 
 Mr. GiBBS. The city of Baltimore is undertaking a big celebration. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. We have two other gentlemen here to be heard. 
 I now present to you Mr. Frank N. Hoen, the vice president of the 
 Merchants and Manufacturers' Association. 
 
 STATEMENT OF MR. FRANK M. HOEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF 
 THE MERCHANTS AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, 
 BALTIMORE, MD. 
 
 Mr. Hoen. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I will 
 not take up much of your time. I simply wish to say that as vice 
 president of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Balti- 
 more I have devoted a good deal of my time to working out a proper 
 schedule for the demonstration to be held in our city m September, 
 and I can assure you that our merchants and manufacturers are 
 heartily behind this whole proposition. They mil spend milhons of 
 dollars to make this demonstration a notable affair for the country. 
 I am surprised that jou gentlemen should be disposed to go into 
 the suggestion of cutting down the appropriation that we have asked 
 for. I served as a representative of our State on the commission to 
 the World's Fair at Chicago, to the St. Louis Exposition, to the Pan- 
 ama Exposition, and the Southern Exposition at Charleston, and for 
 all of those expositions this Government made large appropriations. 
 The city of Baltimore and the State of Maryland have never come 
 and asked for any specific appropriation from Congress for any such 
 
 f)urpose. I say to you that the citizens of Baltimore will spend not 
 ess than S5,000,000 in carrying out the program that we have in 
 view, and it does seem small for our committee to come here and 
 ask for a mere $500,000 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). In what way wiU the citizens of 
 Baltimore spend $5,000,000 ? 
 
 Mr. HoEX. I mer.n exactly what I say. 
 
 The Chairman. Well, tell us about it. 
 
 Mr. Hoen. For example, we are arrangmg for the first day's cele- 
 bration an industrial parade, and we have every assurance that there 
 will be more than 500 floats in that parade. 
 
 The Chairman. That v/ill be advertising the industries of Baltimore. 
 
 Mr. Hoen. It does, but that means the expenditure of money. 
 The Baltimore & Ohio Kailroad Co. will have 5,000 men in line, and 
 it will be one of the biggest things that raihoad ever did. There will 
 be milhons of dollars spent on that celebration. Now, I want to say 
 this, that the idea of coming here for this appropriation came up in 
 this way: To have this celebration without participation by the Fed- 
 eral Government would be like giving the play of Hamlet without 
 having Hamlet in the play. 
 
FORT McHENKY, MD, 25 
 
 Mr. Bartlett. The trouble is that you are proposing here a great 
 many things that do not seem to be ilhistrative of patriotism nor com- 
 memorative of the event. 
 
 Mr. HoEN. So far as the Government's participation in this nnUter 
 is concerned, it can for itself determine the form of the memorial to 
 commemorate the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Whether 
 that shall take the shape of a memorial hall, whether it shall be a 
 monument, or making an appropriation for converting this reserva- 
 tion into one of the beaut}^ spots of the world for the city of Baltimore 
 to take ca,re of afterwards, is a matter for you gentlemen to say; but 
 we think that it is right for us to come here and ask you, in view of 
 what the city is doing and in ^'iew of what our citizens are doing, for 
 an appropriation of $500,000 to be expended as this bill provides. 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. In answer to Judge Bartlett's suggestion, I want 
 to call the attention of the committee to another memorial. I was 
 on tlie committee to visit St. Louis to participate in the dedication of 
 the Jefferson ^lemorial Hall. That, in my opinion, is a splendid 
 memorial. They were gathering togetlier tliere all of the historical 
 relics they could get and placing them in that hall. Then, they had 
 another part where they held lectures ond conventions. They had a 
 statue 01 Jefferson, and that memorial was one of the most beautiful 
 things I have ever seen. I think it a most beautiful as well as useful 
 memorial. In this case, I had in mind the thought that we could 
 gather together the rehcs of the War of 1812 and of the Revolutionary 
 War, and we might also have a hall there in wliich conventions — not 
 large conventions, of course, but a hall in which patriotic conventions 
 could be held. We have thought that would be a most appropriate 
 memorial — a hall standing above the ramparts of old Fort McHenry. 
 
 I now present to you Mr. Herbert Sheridan, the president of the 
 Baltimore Chamber of Commerce. 
 
 STATEMENT OF MR. HERBERT SHERIDAN, PRESIDENT 
 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BALTIMORE, MD. 
 
 Mr. Sheridan. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, 
 I have but a few words to say. I want to remind you of the very 
 cordial in\dtation that his honor the mayor gave this committee to 
 come over to Baltimore and see this spot. If that is done, there 
 wiU be a very mucn better acquaintance on tlie part of the committee 
 with the place itself. A visit by the committee to this liistorical 
 spot will give them an acquaintance with the subject that will be of 
 great aid to them. The celebration of tliis event is a matter of 
 great interest and one that appeals not only to the city of Baltimore 
 and the State of Maryland for support, but we are satisfied that if 
 the country at large were aware of this occasion, without a dissenting 
 voice in any quarter, the entire country would be behind us in our 
 request for this assistance at the hands of tlie Federal Government. 
 Now, as to the particular marking of this spot by means of a memorial 
 building, that, in the minds of the committee, seemed to be more 
 appropriate than a monument of some kind 
 
 The Chairman. But you propose a monument in addition. 
 
 Mr. Sheridan. I know, but I am speaking of the hall 
 
 The Chairman (interposing). That is why I asked about the hall. 
 You were asking for a hall and the monument is in adcUtion. 
 
26 FOET McHENRY, MD. 
 
 Mr. Sheridan. It seemed to be most fitting to tlie committee 
 that there should be a statue of Francis Scott Key, the author of 
 the American anthem. My own experience, gathered through a 
 residence in Columbus as to the utihty of a memorial building, 
 might be of some value. The people of that city thought that it 
 would be a most suitable way to revere the memory of the soldiers 
 and sailors. It is now used as a committee room by the Grand 
 Army posts, and as a place for the gathering of conventions, for 
 public meetings, for lecture courses, and for various events of musical 
 societies. It is the common meeting place not only for the city of 
 Columbus, but for the State at large, and used as such it has been 
 greatly enjoyed. It has been very feasible and most valuable as a 
 memorial. 
 
 I thank you, sir. 
 
 The Chairman. Is there any one else who desires to be heard ? 
 
 Mr. LiNTHicuM. No, sir. 
 
 I thank the committee for its kindness in giving us this extended 
 hearing, but I particularly hope that you will come and see this old 
 fort; let us show you just what we are asking of you, and how impor- 
 tant it is. 
 
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