Evening star., 1937-03-24
MEMORIAL FIGHT
MAY FORCE POPE
TO ALTER DESIGN
Wearin Calls on House to
Require Selection After
Competition.
PROPOSED EDIFICE
is CALLED "POMPOUS"
Fine Arts Commission Members
and Others Disagree With
Architect.

The wrangle over the Thomas JEFF
ferson Memorial bobbed up in the
House today, concurrently with de-
velopments indicating John Russell
Pope, New York architect, may be
asked to redesign it because of criti-
ciSm from the Fine Arts Commission
and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
Representative Wearin, Democrat,
of Iowa called on the House to REQUIRE
the design for the memorial to be Sc
lected through architectural competi-
ton
He reviewed the appointment of the
Jefferson Memorial Commission in the
last Congress and said at that time he
had presented a resolution requiring a
competition before selection Of the de-
sign.
Representative Wearin said he had
received flood OF protests from all
over the country objecting to the way
in which the Memorial Commission
had selected the design.
Legal Situation Clouded.
Despite the criticism by the two
commissions. the legal situation was
by no means clear, for Congress in set
ting up the Jefferson Memorial Com
mission, which is headed by Repre-
sentative Boylan, Democrat of New
York, said nothing about consulting
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission, as is cuStomarily
done. The law provides that the Fine
Arts Commission may be consulted,
and if it is, it must render an opin-
| ion to the jefferson Commission. But
there is question in the mind of OBJ
| servers as to whether Saturdays ses-
| sion was an official request by the JEFF
/ ferson Commission for the Fine Arts
Commissions opinion.
/ Design Hit as "Pompous."
DR.. Charles Moore, Fine Arts Com
mission chairman, was qouted by those
who attended the secret meeting
Saturday as declaring that the Pope
design had not previously been brought
before his body. Fine Arts Commits
sion members, as well as others pres
ent, roundly criticised Pope's design.
applying to it such terms as stiff" :"
| formal and "pompous"
Representative Boylan is expected
to be officially advised in day or Two
of the sense of the joint commission
meeting. which was to the effect that
the Tidal Basin site for the memorial
seemed satisfactory, but finding fault
with Pope's design.
Those who have made a study Of
the project say it would have about
twice the bulk of the Lincoln Memo
rial
The floor level of both the Lincoln
Memorial and Pope's design for the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial is at 81
feet above average low tide, according
to those close to the Memorial Com
mission. While there are So steps from
the highway to the floor of the Lin
coin Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson
would provide 80 steps. The Lincoln
Memorial buildings width is 1873 feet,
/ AOlliH GU Will 4OO 1CCI iOI lLlt oSI
ferson, but the depth of the former
building on the axis is ll9 feet, against
1872 for the Jefferson, accounting for
the practically doubled bulk, observers
say.
Jefferson Memorial Higher.
The top of the Lincoln Memorial is
141 feet above average low tide, but
that of the Jefferson Memorial would
be 1852 feet in the Pope plan The
width of the base of the Lincoln
structure on the ground is set at 257
feet, compared with 596 feet for the
jefferson building The Lincoln's cor
nice height above the highway ap-
proaches is 90 feet against l04 feet for
the jefferson. The height of the Linz
coin Memorials top above the high
way approaches is ia feet, compared
with $50 feet for the jefferson Me-
mortal, according to Pope's design.
The cornice elevation for the Lin
coin Memorial above average low tide
is lit feet, against 116 for the Jeffer-
; son plan. The base at the ground for
the Lincoln Memorial shows an ele-
vation above mean low water of 38
feet, compared with II feet for the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Likewise
the elevation above mean low water
for the Lincoln Memorial, considering
roadway approach is 81 feet, COM
pared with IL feet for the Jefferson
Memorial.
The fight of opponents of the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial as de-
signed by Pope, is expected to center
on the forthcoming s1,500,000 appro-
priation to begin construction, which
will likely be asked for in deficiency
measure Pope has already been put
to considerable expense in drawing up
plans for the memorial, but those in
close touch with the situation say
that he may be out of pocket If op-
ponents win in their attempt to block
funds for the job.