Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-08-17
MEMORIAL WORK
MAY Be ENABLED
IF $5(D,0]D VOTED
Appropriation For Jefferson
Building Held Clearing
Path of Obstacles.
RENEWAL OF FIGHT
ON Monument SEEN
Efforts to Prevent Erection of
Structure, However, Thought
Doomed to Failure.

II Congress approves the 100000
in the third deficiency bill for be-
ginning work on the Thomas Jeffer-
son Memorial and President Roose-
welt signs the measure. apparently
there is nothing to prevent the con-
on the Tidal Basin site.
This appeared to be the situation
today as observers studied the in
clusion of the 100000 item in the
third deficiency bill, reported yester-
day to the House, which today began
consideration of the bill
Representative Woodrum, Democrat,
of Virginia, who was in charge of the
third deficiency appropriation bill, said
in the House today that the Appro-
priations Committee approved the
initial appropriation OF 100000 be-
cause the Memorial Commission was
authorized to spend 100000 on this
project, and had carried out only the
authority given it by act Of Congress.
This item will be subject to discus
sion later this afternoon. Representa-
tive Wearin. Democrat, of Iowa, who
has opposed the plans of the COM
mission has announced that he will
fight against House approval of the
100000 appropriation.
The half million dollar figure is like
ly to provoke controversy, stirring up
anew the hornets nest of opposition
which ragged some months back when
the New York architect, John Rus
sell Pope, and the Thomas jefferson
Memorial Commission made public
the plans for the Tidal Basin site.
Efforts Seen Doomed.
Opponents of the project based
their fight on the allegation that
Pope had already had more than
his share of architectural contracts
here; that the construction of the
memorial at the Tidal Basin would
destroy too many of Washington's
world-famed japanese cherry trees;
that this would interfere seriously
with the flushing process of the basin,
which washes out the Washington
Channel daily with the outgoing tides,
and further. that the Nations Capt.
tai already has its full measure of
classical architecture, and that mod
ern designs, truly representative of
America, should prevail.
Efforts were launched in Congress
in response to the opposition heard
in architectural quarters and else
where to prevent the erection of the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial at the
Tidal Basin. But, with the adjourn
ment of Congress likely the end of
this week or early next, these efforts
apparently are foredoomed to failure
unless speedy action is obtained.
Representative Treadway, Republic
can, Of Massachusetts, vigorously ex-
pressed his opposition to the con-
struction of the Jefferson Memorial
at the Tidal Basin site He intro
duced resolution to this effect. It
was favorably reported from the Lii
brary Committee and now is pend
Ing in the House on the unanimous
consent calendar. Whether it can
be called up in time to be effective
remains to be seen. Observers are
dubious that this can be done and
the resolution can be passed by the
Senate before the final gavels fall.
Chairman Keller of the Library
Committee is represented as being
anxious to have the Treadway resolu-
ton called up at the earliest possible
moment.
Pope Redrawing Plans.
At the order of the commission
Pope is now engaged in redesigning
the memorial so as to set it farther
back on the land just south of the
Tidal Basin. This is designed to
meet the criticism that construction
Of the memorial at the originally
selected site would destroy many of
the famous cherry trees and to pre-
serve the present status of"the Tidal
Basin.
The new location, according to
those in close touch with the COM
mission, will be closer to the High
way Bridge, south of the original
site, which was at the south shore
of the Tidal Basin.
DR.. Charles Moore, chairman of
the Fine Arts Commission, one of
the biggest boosters for the Tidal
Basin site, is now mentioning in the
Far West. He has commended the
memorial to Jefferson should be placed
at the Tidal Basin, the fourth cardi-
nal point in the 1901 plan for the
development of the National Capital.
The Capitol, White House and Lin
coin Memorial are the other major
points in this conception. Moore has
said that the Tidal Basin site, on
the axis south of the White House,
is the last great monumental site
in the National Capital"
President Roosevelt some time ago
transmitted a request through the
Bureau of the Budget to Congress for
the inclusion of the 100000 item
for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
in deficiency measure.