Public Disclosure Authorized Vol. 11 No.3 March 1957 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Memorial to Columbus greets the Washington visitor. IN THIS ISSUE Page Washington Memorials .. Our Credit Union ......... Public Disclosure Authorized Front Cover Picture: (L to R): 101e Bort01uaai, Maria Pariai, Nadia Burkhardt and aaaperina Vivoda. WASillNGTON MEMORIALS MARK AN INTERNATIONAL CITY When the Washington VISitor, or perhaps new staff member, works his way out of Union Station, prob­ ably the first sight that impresses him is the dome of the Capitol. However, if he glances back over his shoulder as he leaves the station, he sees a monument to the man who was largely responsible for starting all this - Christopher Columbus. At the last count 12 of countrymen (and this includes women) - see cover- were working on our staff. The Columbus Memorial Fountain Guy Trancart at Lafayette' a atatue. deserves a longer look than can usually be spared before train time. Old and the New World. Columbus The giant flagstaffs are supposed is presented standing in the bow of to remind you of those in front of a ship looking as though he might St. Mark's in Venice if you are just have said, "Sail on - and on." lucky enough to have seen them. Only a few minutes away is the The giant globe and eagles at the White House and that, of course, top are supported by a shaft of commands the first look as the marble. The figures represent the newcomer approaches. Across the street, however, is Lafayette Square Two Frenchmen: Serge Chevrier and where there are several reminders Comte de Rochambeau. of the long-standing friendship between Americans and French. In the southwest corner is the memorial "To General Lafayette and his Compatriots, 1777-1783." His compatriots on the east side of the monument are Comtes \ I d 'Estaing and de Grasse who offered naval support, and the west side depicts the military ~ supporters Chevalier Duportail and Comte de Rochambeau. The French­ man shown in Bank Notes with Lafayette is none other than Guy I""lt::. 1 Trancan one of our 22 French staff members. So notewonhy was Rochambeau's assistance in the American Revo­ lution that a separate monument was erected in his honor. You must stand on the southwest corner of Lafayette Square where Jackson Place meets Pennsylvania Avenue to see the memorial properly. If you happen to be a Frenchman from Verdome, you are supposed to remark, • Ah yes, a copy of the memorial at home!" Ferdinand Hamar made the copy. Most of the statues in Lafayette George Young po.ed wri th coloni.t.· Square represent the Americans' friend. Edmund BUrke. gratitude to those who helped them that the similarity was not striking win their independence long ago, between him, a Rhinelander, and but this article will be limited to Washington's steadfast aide, a nationalities that are member P russian. The von Steuben statue countries of IBRD and IFC. may be seen in the northwest comer When Erich Bachem posed with of the Square. Its inscription re­ General Von Steuben, he remarked minds beholders of his generous contribution to the American cause~ Not all the memorials in Washing­ ton are dedicated to friends from other countries who fought for American freedom, but since the subject imposes itself on the sight­ seer, there is one other monument that must be mentioned. You must take a short stroll to Massachusetts Avenue and Twelfth Street to see Edmund Burke, a British subject who had a sympathetic attitude toward the American colonies. His famous speeches on American taxation made in 1774 remind us that this unpleasant subject has BanDIJII Bachem IJIId Aide von Steuben. made the headlines for a long time, 4 although admittedly the slant has changed. If you are English and from Bristol, when you see the Burke statue in the little triangular park at Twelfth and Massachusetts, you should remember that it is a copy of the one by Harvard Thomas in your own home town. If your stroll continues along Massachusetts Avenue to Sixteenth Street you will find, just east of Scott Circle and facing it, a me­ morial to the founder of the Home­ opathic school of medicine, Samuel Hahnemann, German physician. Several hospitals have been named Giuseppe Morra wi th I tal ians' pride. for Hahnemann and there is one in Washington at 135 New York Ave., which, according to one of our N. W. The inscriptions on the friends who subscribes to free monument are in German and Latin translations, means "the hair of and the sightseer may have some the dog....," but there are many mental exercise, but we had to ask classical scholars on our staff. Dr. Drechsler! One Latin motto Now that you have gone this far, reads cCSimilia similibus curentur," you may as well continue up Six­ teenth Street to Meridian Hill Park Alternate Executive Director Karl­ and see the memorial there to the Heinz Drechsler at Samuel Hahnemann's memorial. illustrious Italian poet, Dante, "presented to the city of Washington in behalf of the Italians in the United States" by Comm. Carlo Barsotti. This statue also is a copy; the original by Ettore Ximenes, is in New York City. Dante is shown wearing a long draped cloak and holding in his hands a large book, symbol of his gift to literature. His head is crowned with laurel. The facial expression is so serious that one is reminded of the true meaning of "Comedie" -- the repre­ sentation of life as it is. (See Fowler on English Usuage). The 5 happy countenance of model Giuseppe Morra (see picture) quickly brings us back to sunnier realms out of the "darksome wood." Another memorial in Meridian Hill Park is the beautiful bronze eques­ trian statue of Joan of Are, gift of a society of French women in New York City. Joan's recent publicity in Washington has been so favorable and abundant that further comment seems unnecessary. The statue, full of action, made us think of fellow countrywoman Lise Cathala who wields the pen rather than the sword, and is well-known among Vittorio Bali. "ith fello" country· our staff for her numerou,s interests man Marconi. and activities. Marconi, whose statue may be seen Before turning back from Meridian at the comer of Sixteenth and Hill Park, you must proceed north Lamont Streets. Indeed, at present, for a few blocks to see another it is hard to miss because of the honored Italian friend. All radio recent re-gilding done to the lovely and hi-fi devotees are greatly in­ female figure atop the marble shaft debted to the genius of Guglielmo that supports Mr. Marconi's ex­ Li/Je Cathala "ith Maid of Orleans. pressive face. It is hard to realize that only in 1899 were the first wireless signals sent across the English channel and only in 1901 were the first transatlantic signals received in St. John's, Newfound­ land, sent from Marconi's station in Cornwall. So far have we come since this great invention that today some of Mr. Marconi's own country­ men fly about in modern vehicles known as gliders without engines, and often even without radios, just for the thrill! It will soon be time to get back to 1818 H, but only a short distance from the Bank are other memorials that should be noted especially since no word has been said about Latin American honored friends. The new staff member will be re­ minded of our newest member country when he sees the heroic statue of San Martin astride a plunging horse. You must go to the District Court Building to. see this memorial to an outstanding leader of the South American Revo­ lution. The stone base on which the statue rests was brought from Argentina. The statue itself, a "pledge of amity" from the Argen­ tine Republic, was cast in Argen­ Uru~uayan leader Jose Arti~as and tine copper in Buenos Aires. Bank visitor Pedro Rivero. Dr. Victor Pane, although not an Uruguay. His statue, on Consti­ Argentinian himself but Paraguayan., tution Avenue between Seventeenth represents that country on our and Eighteenth, is seen daily by board of Executive Directors and thousands. It is the second memorial said he was ·proud to pose" near to Artigas in the United States. The the famous man. first was unveiled in 1949 in Monte­ Another leader for independence video, Minnesota. Artigas, hat in was Jose Artigas, national hero of hand, looks every inch the true Executive Director Victor Pane wi th gaucho that he was. Our repre­ Ar~entine liberator San Martin. (Please note international bird atop sentative, Mr. Pedro Rivero, a the ~eneral's hat.) Uruguayan, and visitor at the Bank for several months recently, did not wear a hat the day the pictures were taken, so he did not emulate the pose. When it was suggested to Mr. Rivero that he might pose beside one of Washington's memo­ rials, he asked "Which one?" When he heard the reply CCArtigas," he quickly responded with • Ah, very good." Within comfortable walking dis­ tance of the Artigas monument, near Ohio Drive and Independence Ave., Swedi.h- born: Bertil "al. tedt ..1 th .arine architect Jolm. Bric.lIOII. ) Three allegorical figures share the memorial with Mr. Ericsson. The three, ·Vision,- • Adventure- and "Workmanship· are grouped about the trunk of the Norse mythological Tree of Life. There are other memorials to is the memorial to John Ericsson, non-Americans in Washington, but, Swedish bom marine architect and alas, there is not room to mention J inventor.