Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-10
WILL: PROBABLY VEL D
Mr.. Freer Likely to Accept
Conditions Imposed.
EXAMPLES OF RED TAPE
EXPERIENCE OF THE PEOPLE oE
CARLSBAD, N. NJ.
Efforts to Rent the Masonic Lodge
Room to Irrigation Engineers
Nearly Every One Frustrated.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
There seems to be good deal of mis-
understanding about the proposed gift OF
Mr. Charles K: Freer's collection of pictures
to the government of the United States,
and much unfavorable comment concerning
the supposed Indifference of the regents of
the Smithsonian Institution has been pro-
voked thereby. The facts are that Mr..
Freer has not yet made the munlficent gift
that has been described and the regents OF
the Smithsonian have not been Indifferent
to it's value.
Mr.. Freer is wealthy citizen of Detroit,
and has collected works of art for several
years. until he now has one of the finest
private galleries in the United States His
speciality has been Whistler's works. He
and Whistler were intimate and lifelong
friends, and he has a larger number of ex-
amples of the genius of that artist than
exist outside of his gallery all together,
both of the pen and the brush. His
ceramics. Japanese bronzes and other speci-
mems are unsurpassed except, perhaps, by
those in the public gallery at Boston; and
1t would be very important for the artistic
culture of this country. as well as for the
public entertainment, to place Mr. Freer's
gallery at the national capital, which Is
becoming more u center for art, science,
literature and scholarship. as well as poll
liCS ana society. but MI FESST HAS HOt
yet given his gallery to the United States.
He is about to make will and proposes
to bequeath his collection of art specimens
to the government. under certain conditions.
The acceptance of those conditions has
caused the regents of the Smithsonian In
stkution a great deal OF anxiety and per-
pexity.
In the first place. Mr. Freer proposes to
erect a building a certain spot-to be
selected by him-the building to cost not
less than s500,OOO, and to be of such de-
sign as he shall approve. 1t is to be de-
voted exclusively to the exhibition of his
collection, and Is to bear his name. Moth
ing is to be ever taken from added to
the collection. He is willing to add an en-
dowment which will produce sufficient
income to pay the expense of maintaining
the building and caring for the collection
perpetualy. so that the government shall
not be subject to any expense. The col
lection Is to be open to public exhibition
and for the use of students, under such
rules and regulations as Mr.. Freer shall
provide. In other words. he proposes, after
his death-which may be many years hence,
as he is comparatively young man-to
leave the government of the United States
a splendid legacy, but he naturally wishes
to retain the collection for his own enjoy
ment and that of his friends as long as he
shall live. saat
The regents of the Smithsonian, whom he
desires to make trustees Of the legacy, are
not willing to accept such responsibility In
the dark. They have taken the advice of
the chief justice of the Supreme Court, who
is one of their number, and it Is against
his Judgment to accept such an offer with
out a few stipulations on the other side In
the first place, the regents may not be
able to secure any site that Mr.. Freer
might select, and 1t may not be obtainable
except by consent of Congress Hence they
consider it wise for him to choose the loca-
ton before going any further. In the sec
ond place. before the gift is accepted the
regents think they should know exactly
what 1t is. and they have asked Mr.. Freer
to give them an inventory. They think it
is wise also to decide upon the design of
the building in advance and to have the
arrangement IN the form of a contract or
deed of trust, so that there may be no flu
ture misunderstanding with Mr. Freer or
his heirs. Without some such arrangement
Mr. Freer would be at liberty al any time
to withdraw his offer or change its terms
or dispose of some of his pictures and
bronZes With deed of trust however
properly accepted and recorded. and with
all the conditions expressed, there would
be less danger of controversy. 1t is quite
probable that Mr.. Freer will accept all of
these conditions and that before the affair
Is finally arranged the location and the
design of building will be selected an in
Ventory of the gifts will be furnished and
the regulations under which they are to be
exhibited will be prepared and accepted by
both sides.
1t should be said that there is the best
of feeling between the regents and Mr.
Freer in regard to the matter and he is
quite as anxious as they to avoid all posi-
billty of future misunderstanding
More Stories About Red Tape.
In addition to the stories already told of
red tape in the departments, the Keep COM
mission has heard the experience Of the
people Of Carlsbad, N. NJ, with the gov
eminent of the United States as tenant
The reclamation bureau is building a big
dam and large system of irrigating canals
and bitches for the benefit of that country
and the people are correspondingy CRATE
full. They have done everything they could
to help the good work along. and. among
other things, gave the Masonic lodge room
to the engineer In charge and his assist
ants for offices But there had to be a
contract with nominal rental The gov
eminent does not accept such fayors with
out many formalities, and in obedience to
the rules and regulations of the Interior
Department, which have not been revised
Tor half century. the proper papers were
prepared The lease originally made
In the name of the lodge, but the govern
ment rejected 1t because the lodge was not
Incorporated and therefore could not sue
or De sued; A new lease was made out
and signed by the trustees of the lodge but
the department rejected that also because
1t was accompanied by no evidence showing
their election as trustees or their authority
TO represent the lodge and donate the use
of the lodge room to the government The
members of the lodge got together, passed
resolutions and took other necessary action
TO clear up doubts and settle difficulties
and after a new set Of papers were made
out and sent to Washington they felt easv
But the papers were not satisfactory. thew
were still defective In some important par
tfcuiars and We're returned to Carlsbad for
correction. 40
The citizens of Carlsbad were beginning
10 get a little nettled at what they con-
sldercd the unnecessary and unreasonable
technicalities of the officials at Washing
ton, but they were still grateful for the
irrigating system and decided to try II
again. SO, to prevent any further criticisms
and to remove all doubt of their AUTHORITY
the trustees called the members of the
Masonic lodges together to Jointly and
severally make deed or trust, CONVEYING
the property to them, and then they pre-
pared another lease turning 1t over to the
government. Much to their astonishmenf
ana chagrin. those documents were returned
with the disapproval of the Secretary Of the
Interior, on the ground that the lease was
signed by the trustees with only the
initials of the Christian names. whereas
the full name was necessary The gener-
Gus gentlemen responded that their sigma
tures to the lease correspondent exactly TO
the names appearing in the deed of trust
where the initials only were used; but thew
were willing IN writ fIasr