Evening star., 1937-07-24
KELLER URGES BAN
ON MEMORIAL SITE
Asks House to Enact Bill
Forbidding Jefferson
Structure in Basin.

Inc House was urged TODAY bv
chairman Keller of the House Library
committee to pass the TreadWay bill,
which provides that in no event"
Shall the Thomas jefferson Memorial
Commission select as a site for such
memorial the area in the CITY of
washington known. as the Tidal
Basin"
Although the House was not in
session, Chairman Keller filed a five
point report Of 1000 words which he
mas been three months in preparing
and SAID that he hopes to get action
oy the House on the Treadway bill
next Wednesday and II he fails at
tnat time will seek preferential status
Tor the bill by applying to the Rules
Committee.
The Treadway bill is an amendment
10 the act OF Congress on June 3,
1886, which provides that the Thomas
Jenerson Memorial Commission shall
determine upon plan design for and
proceed with the construction of such
memorial upon site selected by the
commission, under contract or con-
tracts hereby authorized to be entered
INTO IN total sum not exceeding
$1,000 ,O0O.'
1he five points in the Keller report
cover Cd expense; (2) the traffic situ-
alton; 80 esthetic values served bv
the memorial; a. the advantages of
leaving the Tidal Basin area as it is
and 90 the work of the Thomas
Jefferson Memorial Commission.
Ihe report makes no recommended
ton regarding any other site for the
memorial, with an observation that
IL mas no reason or intention to en-
croach upon the Jurisdiction of the
commission except to register objec-
ton to use of the Tidal Basin site
Cost Of Plans Cited.
The report calls attention that the
cost OF carrying out the memorial
plans on that site would be excessive
and with no way of knowing what the
ultimate cost would be. 1t points out
that the Army Engineers have esti-
mates from S2,500,0OO to $500 OO0
just for preparation of the site. It
emphasizes two indications.
First, that conditions are exceed
ingly variable and unpredictible, and
second, that in carrying out prepa-
ratlons for the Lincoln Memorial it
was found that there was serious set-
tnng, which almost ruined the founda-
ton so that they had to 20 down To
oed rock the second time to shore I'D
the foundatlon. In that case it was
58-foot fill, while at the proposed
Jefferson Memorial it is an 85-foot fill
"hlch the report argues would in
crease the hazards of what might be
expected. Chairman Keller said he
thought it would not be proper for
the committee to fail to call the at
tention OF Congress to this anticipated
cost.
On the second point, Chairman
Keller discussed the traffic situation
In that area pointing out that ap-
proximately 100000 visitors a wear
90 to the Lincoln Memorial, that
traffic is heavy through that area
INTO Virginia and Potomac Park. and
is already so congested that an increase
on account of the jefferson Memorial
would create an impossible traffic situ-
alton, especially since the memorial
would block some Of the traffic
arteries.
Would Crowd Lincoln Memorial.
Tliccbccirr
third point, the report calls attention
that a commanding reason for placing
the Lincoln Memorial was that on
account OF its size 1t needed isolation.
and that to put another large memo
rial as a near neighbor would negate
the purpose in locating the Lincoln
Memorial. 1t points out that the form
OF treatment referred to as the I'm
fant plan did not consider the Tidal
Basin area because the 1,lOO acres in
The Potomac Park and Hams Point
were not there until 1900, when they
were reclaimed to eXterminate malaria
and mosquitoes.
so the Mcmillan Commission in
1901 carried forward and extended
the lEnfant plan to the Mall with
cross axis to meet changed condi-
tons. They provided for a memorial
where the Lincoln Memorial now is
and another near where it has been
proposed to place the Jefferson Me-
mortal. but at that time. there was no
Lincoln Memorial, no railway en-