The Washington times., 1906-01-02
Offers of ArlColIec-
ton Vary ate-
rialIyf
SMITHSONIAN F5ALKED
Regents Were F3ired by
Original Term Bind
Future Com bses.

The Times Is ablex aJiblish today
the circumstance e bm I've delayed
the acceptanee Of . DFh-discussed
Freer collection by sNFhsonian IN
stitution. The CHIEF iculties have
been these; H
That the institutio1 ltterly uTa1se,
under the law, to HEsthe conditions
imposed by AIr. Freed ihis only state
ment OF those condiAs TO the insti-
tuition.
That tho conditions bounced by the
. President and commucated 10 him by
MF. Freer differ ess tially from the
conditions communicad 10 the Smith
sonian.
That the most impoant Of these diff
1eTenCes-thOugh uotFhe only one-is
that Mr.. Freer demaIs OF the regents
OF the Smithsonian IHhtution that they
pledge themselves tOibtain from Con-
gress or expend froTtfheir own funds
an annual allOWanceAtffieient 20 care
for the collection ink building OF its
own, while Mr.. Freks5 letter TO the
President asks that is collection and
buildings 'be cared * ana maintained
peTpetually by the sHthsonian Insti-
tuition or the Unites Sute Govern
menr at is own exp tse.'
Object to serna.
The alternative carrn byF hat phrase,
scr the United STATED EosFnment," Is
regarded by the regenH as z the great
est Importance. It's Heandg is taken
To be that AR Freed Nill lceept as a
guaranty OF the carHof IT collection
some other security tiau a1ledge from
the Smithsonian. Such ableGge. the
regents think. could have p other ef-
feet than TO make liable ty cent OF
4 ae ..Rstiution's income. al7h, at any
tine IL tde futuf-. CJngressssfIo, faIl
10 appropriate the money equired To
maintain the Freer c0ilecJic. OF If Mr
Freer should not bequtath the $5tJ, 600
he promises for a building house the
collection. every other deprtmeut OF
Smithsonian labor must suf-r severely,
if not be altogether suspelled by the
Withdrawal of the money required 10
care for This gift
What different guaranty Nr. Freer
would accept, the regents O. not know.
Their only information as ID a change
in the original terms is contained in
the letter from the President 10 Chief
Justice Fuller, chancellor q the insti-
tuition, recently published. ana quoted I'm
part above. But they think fl not i'm
possible that a change in tie direction
of the gift may be contemplated.
II, for example, Mir. Freer were TO
follow the usual course of men who
have desired TO present collections 10
the United States and prOff-r his gal
lery 10 the nation, through Congress
and Congress were to accent IL subject
20 the terms proposed i'm the Presidents
letter and then assign il TO the Smith
sonian, subject to the same conditions.
the institution would receive It gladly.
Pledge Discussed.
Competent lawyers, who are members
Of the board Of regents, do not think
1t possible either for them To give
any pledge that Congress will appro.
PIRATE any sum fo7 any specified use
or Tor any congress 20 pladge its sue
eessors. 80 II Is their Judgment that
one Of three things must happen be.
fore the gift can bdcome the Droperty
Of the nation:
\ 1. Mr.. Freer must trust to succaAd.
iNg Congresses toI care for his eff
Without any pledgel
4 or Congress nbust endow the col.
lectSoH WIN an hterest-bearing fund
rreaGG> enough 10 defray the cost Of car
ing for'-rn coileEuou.
3. Or Mr. f[eeP must himself provide
the means earring for the collection
This difficulty of meeting Air. Freer's
condition as TO Nthe care of the gift
was explained tc a Times reDoTtel
tnis morning b. Prof. Alexander Gra,
ham Bell, although he refused to dis.
cuss any other phase of the matter
AS one of the executive committee OF
the board of regents. Mr., Bell went 10
Detroit last March and inspected the
Freer collection. The others OF the
(Continned an second PapeA