Evening star., 1937-01-05
ROOSEVELT TO ASK
EARLY ACCEPTANCE
of ART GALLERY
Ratification by Congress of
Terms of MELONS Gift
Expected Soon.
DONOR STAYS IN D. C..
TO WORK OUT DETAILS
Beautifcation of Area, Without
Marring Monument Vista,
Is Seen.

President Roosevelt will seek early
congressional ratification of Andrew
Melons gift to the people of the
United States of his famed art COL
lection and of a s9,0O0,0 900 National
Gallery Of Art on the Mall.
With Congress opening today, the
President is expected to forward to
the Capitol shortly a recommends
ton that special legislation be en-
acted providing for acceptance Of
Melons offer, with its stipulations
concerning maintenance, management
and extension Of the gallery.
Mellon himself will remain here
Indefinitely to keep close watch on
development of the project and to be
available to officials in charge Of gov
ernmental phases Of the undertaking.
He has conferred already with Presi.
dent Roosevelt, Frederic A. Delano.
chairman of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, and with
other officials.
Plans Prepared.
John Russell Pope, who has pre-
pared elaborate plans for the gallery.
will come here from New York later to
join in the conferences. The Fine
Arts Commission, which must approve
the design, is familiar with the tenta-
tive plans but cannot act until Con-
gress has approved the project by
formal act.
The enabling act would authorize
acceptance OF the gallery and art
collection by the Federal Government.
provide for creation of board Of
nine trustees to supervise the gallery
and authorize the Smithsonian Insti-
tuiion to acquire the gallery as unit.
The President has asked Attorney
General Cummings to confer with
Smithsonian officials with a view to
drafting the proposed enabling act.
Mellon Would Name Five.
The act would authorize Mellon to
choose five of the trustees. The other
four, ex-officio members, the Vice
President, the Speaker. the Secretary
Of the Treasury and the secretary Of
the Smithsonian Institution or some
other official. Melons appointees
would be subject to approval by the
regents of the Smithsonian Institu.
ton.
Mellon also would reserve the right
to select a director, curator and several
other officials Of the gallery. with
| approval Of the institution.
Provision also will have to be made
by Congress for abandonment Of the
George Washington Memorial project
and transfer of its site to the new
gallery. The memorial plan has been
changed to embrace an auditorium
for George Washington University in
another location.
Mellon has said he is ready to
proceed with actual construction Of
the gallery as soon as all preliminary
legal steps are taken
Would Beautify Area.
Erection of the gallery will remove
an eyesore from the Mall, in the
opinion of C. Marshall Finnan, SUI
perintendent of the National Capital
Parks.
The foundations Of the incompleted
Washington Memorial Building on the
Mall-which would be obliterated by
the National. Gallery Of Art-has long
been considered perplexing problem
to park authorities. The District OF
Columbia wood yard, which is now
occupying the space, is also considered
Objectionable from the park view-
point. Just where this would be
moved to has not been decided, Fin
nan said.
The National Gallery sof Art would
be built in line with the New National
Museum. to the eastward of that
structure. Some persons have gotten
the idea. that the new building would
obscure the much-advertised vista
from the Capitol to the Washington
Monument. Finnan, however. pointed
out that such is not the case, as the
building would conform to the exist
ing structures at the northern side
Of the Mall.