Evening star., 1937-04-30
Jefferson Memorial Costs.

Official revelation that the cost of the
proposed Thomas Jefferson memorial, II
erected in Potomac Park on the site now
named by the commission intrusted with
the undertaking and on the architec-
tural scale contemplated, will cost some
thing like $4,000, ,000-perhaps more
appears to have caused a decided reac-
ton in Congress against the plan. Such
an expenditure upon a non -utilitarian
construction, however worthy. Thomas
Jefferson of the utmost gratitude for his
services as one of the greatest of Ameri-
can statesmen, is regarded as excessive,
especially at a time when the national
resources are severely strained. Con-
gress, confronted with the necessity for
economy in Government costs and out
lays in order to effect an approximate
balancing of the national budget is not
likely to look with favor upon so elabor-
ate and costly memorial.
1t is explained that a very large part
of the now estimated total cost will be
incident to the landscaping of the site
which has been selected This is final
demonstration of the unsuitableness of
that site. A memorial can be erected
IN the park at point chosen by the
commission only at the expense of a
materlal-in fact, revolutionary
change in the entire scene. To adapt the
site to the proposed memorial would re-
quire not alone the destruction of large
number of the cherry trees which con-
stitute one of Washingtons greatest
attractions, but complete rearrange-
ment OF the entire upper end of the park.
factor in this situation which has
not been adequately considered is the
presence Immediately in the rear of the
site proposed for the memorial itself of
high embankment carrying railroad
tracks. II this is maintained-as short
OF complete change in the transporta-
ton line connecting Washington with
the South, perhaps by means of tunnel.
1t would need to be-the Greek temple"
tribute to Thomas jefferson would have
as background great dixie which could
not conceiyably be Handicapped" into an
appropriate setting and which would
bring railroad trains, chiefly freights,
into view at frequent intervals.
To overcome this obstacle to an ap-
propriate setting of the memorial would
cost sum that has probably not been
included in the present estimate. It
would run into several millions of dol
lars, which would have to be paid by the
Government. That factor alone would
seem to mark the site as unsuitable and
unduly costly.
There Is no disposition whatever to
begrudge the expenditure of large sum,
perhaps as large as the original estimate
OF s3,0o0,000, for the creation of a per-
manent, worthy and significant memorial
tribute to Thomas Jefferson. The Dis
trict OF Columbia, however, is in no posi-
ton financially to share in this expense.
There is no present guarantee that 1t
would not be called upon, or forced by
congressional requirement, to share in
the cost OF the park changes incident to
the construction. Nor is the Federal
Government in its present financial
plight in position to undertake SO ex-
traVagant an outlay. The best course
is 70 postpone action until the subject
can be more thoroughly considered to
the end OF finding site of suitable sig
nificance and relationship to existing
structures and parks upon which a me-
morlal-perhaps in the design now
adopted-may be erected without i'm
pairment of the Federal finances.