STATEMENT OF HON. HERBERT J. MCGLINCHEY, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM PENNSYLVANIA As Representative of the Sixth District of Pennsylvania, one of the largest in Philadelphia, I would like to express my wholehearted approval of the bill, H. R. 2851, introduced by my colleague, Mr. Bradley, to provide for investigating the matter of the establishment of a national park in the old part of the city of Philadelphia. The reasons for the desirability of this project are aptly set forth in the preamble of the bill. These buildings and their contents are a part of our American heritage and should be placed in an appropriate setting so that our appreciation of their significance will be apparent to the rest of the world. This would assure the proper preservation of this assemblage of the symbols of our great democracy and provide inspiration for our people through successive generations to come. When I think of the historic significance and value of these hallowed shrines, I cannot understand why such a movement has been so long delayed. Furthermore, there could be no better place than the city of Philadelphia to establish permanent headquarters for the United Nations. If the responsibility for world collaboration and for the rehabilitation of Europe is to be ours, I think our country would be the logical place for the permanent headquarters of this organization and Philadelphia the ideal location, and the enactment of H. R. 2851 would be an important step in this direction. I am sure the committee has been impressed by the fine group of representative citizens who have appeared before it and so earnestly urged the enactment of this measure, and I appreciate the opportunity of adding my endorsement and assurance of support. OFFICE OF GEORGE E. BRUNNER, TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE, Mayor, City of Camden, DEAR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: It gives me great pleasure to appear today in this hallowed shrine, in my capacity of mayor of neighboring Camden, N. J., and add my voice to those urging the designation of Philadelphia as the permanent home of the United Nations Council. I am not and never have been a resident of Philadelphia. I am a lifelong Jerseyman, and over in Camden we are inclined to look upon this city as merely an overgrown suburb of ours. But I must confess the idea of Philadelphia as the universal peace capital is so incontrovertibly proper that I couldn't be more sincere if I were championing some cause of Camden's itself. Who has a better claim for such an honor than this cradle of liberty? Philadelphia-this very building-is the birthplace not only of our Nation but of our way of life, a way of life that is the ideal and the envy and the goal of hundreds of millions of human beings the world over. It may perhaps be said, and with merit, that the fact one country had its origin here, even though that country is the world's greatest, might not in itself be sufficient to justify singling it out for this high honor. But Philadelphia gave birth to more than the United States of America, great as was that achievement. Here was born the American way of life, here was drafted the Constitution which for more than a century and a half has served as a beacon and a hope to all the peoples everywhere. Here true democracy came into being. Here man achieved his highest state of freedom. This very building is the world's outstanding milestone in the development of the individual from serfdom to freedom. There have been others-Magna Charta and the French Revolution, for example. But here the greatest forward stride was made. Here, first of all, the Declaration of Independence expressing the noblest of human traits-self-sacrifice for an ideal-came into being. The signers of that inspiring document risked their homes, their fortunes-for most of them were prosperous men-risked their very lives for that ideal. Here the struggle to implement that Declaration of Independence was directed. Here in this very building George Washington put behind him the ease and comfort of life on his beloved plantation and accepted the post of Com mander of the Armies. Here the war for freedom was organized and financed and, some of it, waged. Here great Philadelphians like Franklin and Morris made their vital contributions to the cause. Here the new Nation's first government, the Articles of Confederation, were drawn; and here, finally, came into being the remarkable Constitution which gave the world a pattern for democracy and enabled man to attain his highest plane of freedom and dignity. Where else could a world capital be? What other city anywhere is so inevitably linked with human liberty? We in Camden are just as proud of Philadelphia's great heritage as is Philadelphia itself. We have our own claims to fame and tradition there, but in this matter we recognize that Philadelphia, the birthplace of our freedom, the cradle of our democracy, the first capital of our country, stands alone. I think people of all communities everywhere join with us in that recognition. STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN EDWARD SHERIDAN, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA I wish to concur with the provisions of bill H. R. 2851, introduced by the Honorable Michael J. Bradley, to investigate the matter of the establishment of a national park in the old section of the city of Philadelphia for the purpose of conserving the historical objects and buildings therein. In this area are located the nationally significant Independence Hall where the Liberty Bell is displayed, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, as well as other historic structures, all of which represent our American heritage. Many of the buildings surrounding these places of historical interest have deteriorated to such extent that they are unsightly and not conducive to a proper respect and reverence for those American ideals which these shrines symbolize, and, if a national park were established, an attractive and inspiring setting would be created and a greater sense of homage for these American institutions where the laws of our country were formulated and enacted, in a large degree, in the year 1776. Philadelphia with its Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed and where the historic Constitutional Convention met and wrote the Constitution of the United States represents he symbols of broad human tolerance and freedom, and I feel would make a fitting capital of world peace and permanent headquarters for the United Nations. It is with pleasure that I attach my endorsement with those of the group of the leading citizens of Philadelphia who have appeared before your committee in support of the enactment of this legislation. PHILADELPHIA NATIONAL PARK COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1945 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The CHAIRMAN. The other bill we have today is a bill for a National Memorial Park and Independence Hall Association. I appointed a subcommittee on that, and we had hearings in Philadelphia. The hearings we are having printed; they are not yet ready. Our colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. Barrett, was a member of the subcommittee, and he is here and familiar with it. The subcommittee was Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. Savage, Mr. LeCompte, Mr. Barrett, and myself. We went over there and took considerable testimony. The purpose of the bill is to provide for this association, and they are to work out plans for the grouping of those buildings into a historic shrine in old Philadelphia. Much to my surprise, Independence Hall is not owned by the Federal Government, it is owned by the city of Philadelphia. Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the old Carpenters' Hall where Congress met, the Second Bank of the United States, all within a short distance of each other. One area leading up to it has been cleared out and protected. On the other side there are buildings, the upper stories of which are not occupied in many instances, and they are fire hazards, and one recent fire came very near damaging one of the old structures. This association has been working, trying to get together the various groups in Philadelphia to do the ground work before they asked the Federal Government to step in. So instead of passing a bill first to just point-blank make it a national shrine, they figured the best thing to do was to follow the plan that has been followed in the instance of the Lincoln Memorial and that sort of thing and set up a commission. Mr. Wilson, are you familiar enough with it to explain it? Mr. WILSON. No, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Perhaps we had better hear first from Mr. Barrett, and then from Mr. Kneipp. Mr. BARRETT of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, there has been a group for years in Philadelphia composed of the leading businessmen of that city, which has been trying to bring about the preservation of Independence Hall, Carpenters' Hall, and all the surroundings into one, to be known as the National Shrine of Philadelphia and the birthplace of democracy. This will involve the demolition of these buildings, which have been vandalized for the last 5 or 10 years, and have become a fire hazard to this shrine. The people of Philadelphia want to cooperate in every way with the Federal Government in order to bring that about. They are asking the Government to step in and authorize them to make these changes in order to preserve the shrines which they think are sacred now. It was for this reason that we met there to observe, and to obtain the necessary testimony to properly guide ourselves relative to the recommendation to be made by the Government. The CHAIRMAN. We held 2 full days' hearings, and there was an array of witnesses who set forth the history and general plans. Mr. WHITE. Has any estimated cost been submitted by anybody? The CHAIRMAN. No; that is the reason they want this commission set up. They have different ideas and plans. There is a possibility that they might issue a commemorative coin which could be sold to bring funds into the treasury, so that the necessary funds could be raised that way; then there will be certain concessions for the sale of souvenirs and so forth. They said those things they would have the commission more or less work out, rather than have us to attempt it, and with the responsibility on the commission, finally, to help acquire the title. In that way it was thought it would work out better. Mr. Kneipp, I believe this procedure has been followed before rather successfully. Mr. KNEIPP. Yes, it has. The CHAIRMAN. It more or less creates a group that will go out and stir up sentiment locally and help raise finances and that sort of thing. Mr. KNEIPP. That is correct. Mr. CHENOWETH. What do we do by enacting this bill now? The CHAIRMAN. Let Mr. Kneipp explain it. Mr. KNEIPP. The proposed report on H. R. 2851 has been submitted to the Bureau of the Budget, but to date the Budget has not advised the Department whether or not the proposed legislation is in accordance with the program of the President, so naturally any statement I make here The CHAIRMAN. Is made at the request of the committee. We understand that, and I requested you to be here. Mr. KNEIPP. H. R. 2851 would establish the Philadelphia National Shrines Park Commission which would be charged with conducting an investigation with regard to the desirability of establishing a Federal park area in the city of Philadelphia. The area that would be investigated by the commission includes one of the most important groups of historic structures in the Nation. It contains the nationally significant Independence Hall where the Liberty Bell is on display, Congress Hall, Old City Hall, and related historic structures. These buildings were the scene of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, the meeting place of that Congress, and the Constitutional Convention of 1787, as well as the seat of government of the United States during the American Revolution, and during the period from 1790 through 1800. In recognition of the national historical significance of these structures, the Independence Hall group and Independence Square, were designated a national historic site on May 14, 1943, pursuant to a co |