The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-01
BEHIND | THE SCENIESI
 M WASHINGTON NW RODNEY pUrcHER-l Democrat Washington
 Correspondent
Din of DisapprOval Over Thomas Jefferson MemOr- ial Makes Project Extreme ly Doubtful. If Possible.


 sponsors can ever get away with 1t. The project has been bombarded, strafed, bayoneted, blasted and rid- dled by nearly all the local folk. reinforced by members of congress. Add large number of recent wis., itors who bcame enraged on hear ing that their beloved Japanese cherry blossoms would have to be destroyed if Jefferson were to be properly honored in accordance with the official blueprints.
 Objections have been aimed at three chief points:
 1. The design which Is that of Greek temple closely resembling the Pantheon.
 2. The site, which calls for a rejiggering of the Tidal Basin around which the cheery blos- sonns bloom annually in thick unbroken line, and for recon- structiOn of large area which Washingtonians consider especial- ly beautiful in its present form.
 3. The fact that the architect, John Russell Pope, was chosen at 8 star chamber session rather than in open competition.
 Responsible for all this was the official committee headed by Con- lgreSsman John Boylan, 8 veteran Tammany man and real estate op- orator. For years he evidenced his intense admiration for Jefferson by annually introducing bill for a memorial, and finally under dem- ocratic administration, obtained authorization for $3,000,000 for that lpurposs.
 In Secret Session
 Given full power by Congress, Boylan and his commission have been able to dictate. They can be checked only by refusal of the house appropriations committee to vote a grant of $500,000 which President Roosevelt and the budget bureau have approved for start on the project or, failing that, by a vote of the house or senate to delete the appropriation.
 Three senate members of the con- mission approved the plan in Se- cret session. But conspicuous on She commission was Joseph P. Tu- multy, 8 lawyer-lobbyist here since he was secretary to Woodrow Will son. Opposing public hearings, Tu- multy is said to have declared that i've are not going to connect Jef- ferson with anything commercial or utilitarian."
 So the result was approved of the classicist Pope and his design for a huge temple with Homie pil- lars which would practically 0ver- shadow the Lincoln Memorial Standing at the south end of the Tidal Basin on g cauSeway, the temple and rest of the plan would require making the irregular basin a rectangle and the destruction of most, if not all, the 723 cherry trees in the affected area. Such huge amount of draining, fill- ing-in, highway building and other work would have to be done that engineers and certain archi- tects run between $10,00O,00O and $15,OOO,000. Pope, incidentally, would be paid per cent of $3,- 100000.
 Critics complain that the tenn pie with its "squatty dome" would be "grandiose" but dull and pom pous." The League for Progress in Architecture says the design is "completely inappropriate and com pletely without imagination or vi- tality." Logical citizens associations are bowling day and night. Women's clubs have joined them. The Wash ington Restaurant association, fear ing loss of cherry blossoms will dis courage tourists, has protested. The American Automobile association calls the plan "unwarranted and unpardonable vandalism"
 Some Want Stadium
 Congressman Otha D. Wearin of Iowa and others have demanded that commission plans be shelved while the governments Fine Arts Commission and the National Park and Planning Commission work out something which will include na- tional competitive design contest. There is no lack of suggested al- ternatives as to site or design. Many demand a big stadium or audi torium, and some want the site placed on the Potomac, near the George Washington Memorial High way down toward Alexandria and Mount Vernon.
 Several New York architects have come to defense of the Pope plan, although others at least as prom inent have attacked 1t. The for mer demand dignity" "faithfulness to the ancient LEnfant plan for laying out the capital city-which called for a five point cross with the capitol at one end, the White House at the other and the Wash ington monument between them. Trials of Capital Society
 Society life in Washington is much harder than most outsiders suppose.
 Mrs Harry WOOdrlng, attractive wife of the acting secretary of war, had an "at home" the other day and expected only 200 guests. But the D. A. R. was meeting here and 625 came.
 More refreshments were ordered on the double-quick. But when the trucks came with food and drink they couldn't get near the Wood ring mansion because of the traf- fic jam.
 Copyright, 1887, NEA Service, Incl I'M EXERCISE I'M BATH - SWIM