New Britain herald., 1924-04-17
PRICELESS RELICS
 ON EXHIBITION
National Museum at Washington
 Has Many Treasures

Washington, April 17.-Priceless art treasures are jostling invaluable examples Of mans progress in other fields into places of obscurity in the National Museum. and in conse- quence the scientists of the country have come to the support of the American Federation of Arts in its campaign for a national art gallery.
 Bills providing for the construction of national gallery are being pre- pared for introduction in the senate and house should funds for the struc- ture not be raised by gift pr bequest, and Charles A. Platt of New York, has been commissioned to design the building by a group of art patrons who have subscribed s1o,000 for this purpose. Meanwhile, however, the situation is described as acute.
 Art was one Of the subjects to be cultivated under the bequest of James Smithson, with which the Smith, sonian Institution was founded in 1S46, but science and history claimed principal attention for many years. The archaeological exhibits that have been gathered are recognized by scientists and historians as being among the finest and most important in the world.
 Expansion Sccessitated.
 The steady growth of the scientific and historical collections has resulted in the expansion of the Smithsonian group of buildings into four, of which the New National Museum is one. When they were planned. art occu- pied only an incidental place among the exhibits. and no special provision was made for its preservation.
 In recent years, however the gov ernment which has a hand in financ- ing the institution, has been given art collections of great value, including works by Titan, Luini Rubens, Rem- brandt, Macs. Gainsborough. Key holds, Turner, Romney. Raeburn, Ho- garth, Constable, and other masters. This store of created beauty, already valued at something more than s5.0o0,ooo. will be increased by numerous other gifts and bequests, it is said, as soon as the private owners are assured of adequate arrangements for the care and display of such treasures.
 Frecr Provided Special Gallery
 Charles l., freer of Detroit. who recently gave the government the most extensive single art collection it has received. provided a special gal lery for it at A cost of st,250, ,000, but it is pointed out that few con noisseurs are able to make such gifts, and many Of them are not willing to have their most prized possessions put on display in make shift quarters
 Charles D. Walcott. secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who has charge Of the national art collection as well as the scientific exhibits, has emphasized the need for separate, especially designed building in which 10 house the former. Not only is the United States the only great nation in the world that has no national art gallery, but the existing buildings have become so crowded that expan- sion Of the historical and scientific as well as the art exhibits is being re- iarded.
 The government has granted the institution a site on the Mall of the capital for a gallery, but funds have not yeet been made available for it's construction despite tho fact that science and art--as Dr. Wolcott puts it--"should both have buildings Of