The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-19
PLAN MEMORIAL
TO POET KEATS 4: ].
Option Secured Oil House in
Rome Where He lIved
and Died.
DISTINGUISHED MEN :: UNITE q !
President Roosevelt Sends Letter,
&. ~ and King Of Italy Ex
presses Approval.
DISTINGUISHED MEN UNITE IL
lBx Associated Press. 4

= - - q
4 Nations, arrangements have bd.n con-
cludcd by which an option has been Sc
4, cured on the house In Piazza dt Spa gna,
In Rome, where the poet. John Kea ts..
Il lived and died This house Is at the
foot OF the picturesque Spanish steps,
which lead to the Vile Medici, and, Ike
4 II. are owned by France. It is now IN
81 fair way OF being preserved forever
u as q memorial. not only OF Keats, but
\ of{shis friend and eulogist, Shelley, who
\ vas buried near him In the old Protest
ant cemetery OF Rome
The plar#of the promoters OF the pro
& 3ect which has been well kept from pup
licity in America aims at a complete IL
II hrary OF the various editions Of the
4 poems and letterssof the two great Eng \
. liHhmen, together with oil the obtain
\ able criticisms OF their work. with origi-.
nal portraits, photographs OF places and
people associated with them
v 1t Ia further planned that the trustees
&. Of the house shall exercise perpetual
guardianship over the graves OF the
poets. as the older part OF the cemetery.
IN which Keats rs buried. has been threat
ened with irroads, and the actual re-
moval OF his grave was once prevented
only by the Intervention Of Queen Vic
Begun BY Americans.
toria.3 .,s
gssis "A movement to buy ana preserve the
8 house of Keats and to establish in II a
memorial library OF the works OF him and
81 OF Percy Shelley, was set on foot 4 In 1913
by eight American writers, then In Rome !;
81 Informal committees were organized in
4 that city, In England ard in the United
8iS States. and a fuid OF private subscr1p-
tons amounting to $1,000. representing
u i've hundred contributors, has been raised
e and deposited at Fowler's Bank IN Rome,
The difficulties in 1.-The way OF obtaining
g an option on the property have seemed
g mt times insupera BILE. But an opti lon on.
the house for eight months has Just been
1 signed the committee making an advance
II ipay111ent OF s.x thousand e, 900 francs on
3 ttest total purchase price OF los 900 francs
s about 81, 600 "a considerable concession,
on the part OF the owner. The italian
i TRANSFERRING OF abouttfiye thousand q, GOD
francs will be further addition to the.
cost, unless 1t shall be RENTED by legis-s
lative act, in view. OF the International
y and public aspects of the en- terprise-
The list OF subscribers includes the
IL most distinguished names dn the literary
and political worlds OF England and
America. While the rentals OF the floors
OF the house Sfich3E Keats and an. Revere Rev e,
II did not occupy are expected to be 81 III
IN Client for the maintenance OF the m emo-
NJ rial. the committees desire to raise by
Y future subscriptions. during the eight
months, life ot the q ton p OF aonly the
a remainder otS&the purchase money. but
81 enough 10 provid an ample end wi1lent
fund Owners of lions and men orials
81 the poets are to be invited to con-
tribute or beaueath them to the library
Letter from President.
The following letter to Mr.. r. U. Inn
s son. Secretary OF the American Com
\ mission. shows that the International
Il comfy OF the project has received dis
tInguished recognition: s&
January 5, 1906
Ny Dear Mr. Johnson:s 3,
AS you know I am grea tly interest
ed in the project to. buy and preserve 3g
as a memorial the house In Rome In
which Keats died, a project which
was first called to my attention by
:. John Hay, !. who felt the $ltyeliest sym
pathy for 1t. The association OF the #
building are such as to make II pea Il
culiarly fitting thatSit should he pur-s
chased and that therein should be les-
tablIshed permanent memorial In al
"A honor OF Keats and Shelley. I am
glad that the movement TO establish
this memorial. both In the form OF I'll
memorial library and In the form 4s
OF providing fora the perpetual care III
Of the graves OF the poets. should have HI
q been set on foot by our countrymen:
Sincerely yours. S lsa8 4! 55
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
s Mr.. r. u ] ohnson,t secretary American
Committee. Keats Shelley Memorial. u
No 80 East Seventeenth Street New
York I.
King S Approval.
Rome. Mach 20, 1906.
Ministry Of the Royal Ho<se:
Els Majesty the King having al
ready had personal cognizance from
you Of the proposition OF distinguished
English and Ar.<sican citizens to de-
vote the house IL (which John Keats
died to library OF the works, me-
MORALS and portraits OF the poet,
and OF Percy Shelley. and to- provid.
permanent guardianship, for their
graves in Rome wishes to manifest