Evening star., 1937-04-30
BILL MAY CHANGE
MEMORIAL SITE
Tidal Basin Choice as Loca.
tion to Be Barred, Keller
Believes.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY,

The fate Of the Tidal Basin and
japanese cherry trees surrounding it
is settled for many years to come, in
the opinion Of Chairman Keller of
the House Library Committee.
After an executive session Of his
committee next Tuesday, Keller in
tends to report to the House a bill
prohibiting use Of the Tidal Basin area
for the s3,00O,0oO Thomas Jefferson
Memorial authorized by Congress. He
believes the area on the SOUTH from
the White House to the river, will be
dedicated for an indefinite future to
garden development. thus setting
aside the plans of L'Enfant and the
Mcmillan Commission for . major
memorial there
But Keller does not agree with
those who feel that the entire Jefferson
Memorial project is doomed-for this
Congress, at least. He said:
Il do not wish to see the plans for
the memorial stopped. I am one Of
those who desire most earnestly that
the memorial be built. and I believe it
will be built. Congress authorized
this memorial at q limit OF cost of
100000 and am sure very fitting
memorial can be erected at that cost
on some other site. I do not propose
to select or recommend any particular
site
Il do feel, however, that as chair
man of the committee which recon-
mended erection OF the memorial, I
should not advise Congress that it
cannot be built on the Tidal Basin
site within the amount authorized.
In that report, hope to be fair and
just will state the facts as I flnd
them and can discover them, and I
will endeavor to learn all the facts,
and my report will be carefully con-
sidered."
To Study Transcript.
Keller intends to read the entire
transcript OF the proceedings Of the
Memorial Commission. Chairman
Boylan Of the commission agreed to
furnish him with the stenographic
transcript-and he promised that he
will approach the reading with 4 fair
mind and friendly disposition
toward the commission, realizing that
it has honestly and in good faith per-
formed 4 task given it by Congress.
He said he has the highest regard for
the men who composed the commits
sion, and for the architect 1t selected.
He and the members OF the Library
Committee have no disposition to va
cate the action of the commission in
selecting John Russell Pope as archi-
tect.
Boylan Sitting Tight.r
Meantime, Chairman Boylan is, in
his own words, sitting tight" con-
scious Of having done to the best Of
his ability the Job assigned him by
Congress. He processes confidence
that the memorial will be built and
that the $500, 900 recommended by the
President and Budget Bureau to start
the work will be carried in the third
deficiency appropriation bill with 9TH
er construction items.
A number Of other sites have been
suggested: In the Soldiers Home
grounds, with vsita down North
Capitol street Of the Capitol dome; in
Lincoln Park; farther east to link in
with the Arboretum, the proposed
stadium, Anacostia park development
to make . beautiful eastern entrance
to the Capital City; on the high
grounds north of the William Jen-
nings Bryan Statue, near where the
Potomac Parkway and the Rock Greek
Parkway come together; on the bluffs
in Arlington County, at the bend Of
the river opposite Georgetown Aque-
duct; on Sixteenth Street Heights, In
Rock Greek Park west Of the Memorial
Bridge, below the Shoreham Hotel
and 4 half-dozen other places. Va
rious citizens associations, groups Of
interested people, architects and real
estate men have advocated these 10
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