Evening star., 1937-04-18
Why Not Explain?


mortal Commission not take a skeptical
public into it's confidence and tell every
thing that should be told about the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial? If it had
followed that course in the beginning
much of the current criticism of it's
plans and designs might have been
avoided. If it will do so now, many fears
may be quieted and some of the criti-
cism may be turned into Endorsement of
what it proposes.
Much of the criticism of the memorial
plans and the site is based on a violent
disagreement over what sort of memorial
would most suitably commemorate
Thomas Jefferson and where such
memorial should be located. Nothing
that the commission can do can very
well overcome that criticism, which re-
fleets personal taste and Judgment.
But II the commission has proceeded
as carefully in its plans as the public
has right to expect that it would, it
could now reveal certain details that are
the subject of much conjecture and
about which nothing is known.
The contemplated slaughter of the
cherry trees" has ruthless sound to it
that alarms everybody. But Chairman
Boylan says that instead of destroying
the cherry trees, the plans will make
possible an even more gorgeous display
Of the blossoms. But, the skeptic asks,
Is that possible? And if he attempts to
ind out he comes to a dead end. For
nobody knows what the Memorial Com
mission plans to do about the grades or
the roads in the vicinity of the memorial
affecting transplanting of the trees
and until such facts are known intelli-
gent discussion of the fate of the cherry
trees is impossible.
The prospect of creating stagnant
pool in what is now Washington Chan
nel-by hampering the flow of flushing
water from the Tidal Basin-alarms
everybody. That is ridiculous, says Mr..
Boylan, because the slight reduction in
the area of the basin will not materially
affect the flow of the water. But the
OF answering the question, are unable to
give an intelligent answer until they
know exactly what will be done to the
basin-and nobody knows that except
the commission.
The site is condemned as unfit for sew
eral reasons, and some convincing argu-
ments are advanced as to why it is in
appropriate. The Commission Of Fine
Arts and the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, however, have
approved the site. But what else did
they say about the site and the design
for the memorial? Nobody knows-ex-
cept the memorial ommission-because
the reports OF those bodies are kept
secret.
The commission, as far as the unin-
formed public is concerned, seems to
have shown a tendency to back into its
decisions from the very beginning. The
first designated site of the memorial
was the "apex" at Pennsylvania avenue
and Constitution avenue. In executive
session Of the commission that site was
abandoned and the new one chosen. The
commission has never told the public why.
1t has been established by test bor-
ings that the bedrock for foundations
can be reached without too much trouble.
But the borings were ordered after the
estimates of cost and the selection of
the site were made. The public is
anxious to know about the effect of
the memorial on traffic conditions. But
the public is kept in the dark, because
nothing can be learned officially to show
that the commission has given this i'm
portant question any consideration
whatever.
Perhaps the commission has taken all
these things into consideration and has
found satisfactory answers. Perhaps
much Of the criticism of the site and de-
sign is based on Misrepresentation. Then
why does the commission not tell the
story? All OF It's proceedings thus far
have been executive. All OF its decisions
have been reached in secret. The elabo-
rate machinery for co-ordinating de-
velopment Of the Capital, adopted after
many hideous mistakes of the past, seems
not to have been used by the commits
sion. A report on the joint resolution
authorizing the memorial mentions that
Charles Moore and Frederic A. Delano
presented their views. But what they
were nobody outside the commission
knows.
Chairman Boylan and the commission
would do well to explain everything about
their plans and to end that part of the
criticism, ut least, which is based on lack
OF knowledge of what they contemplate.
phiI1ine Gallery Exhibition.