Evening star., 1937-05-04
MEASURE TO HIATT
JEFFERSON SHRINE
TO Be REPORTED
Library Committee Agrees
to Act FavorabIy on
TreadWay Bill.
WOULD BAN ERECTION
ON TIDAL BASIN SITE
Chairman Keller Regrets He Had
Not Studied Precedents and
Safeguarded Congress,
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Congress created the Thomas JET
terSon Memorial Commission by
Joint resolution of June rs, 1884,
amending the legislation June 3,
1886, empowering the group to Sc
lect q design and site The proposal
OF the Ne1u York architect, John
Russell Pope, chosen By the COM
mission, to construct the memorial
at the Tidal Basin site stirred a
storm OF protest. lDhen opponents
contended this 1rould destroy the
Dorld- famed Japanese cherry tree
display.
In the executive session today, the
House Library Committee agreed to
report favorably the bill introduced
by Representative Allen T. Treadway
of Massachusetts, the ranking Republic
can member. which prohibits the
erection of the 100000 Thomas
jefferson Memorial authorized by
Congress. on the Tidal Basin site
The subject matter OF the report was
discussed in detail-the main argu-
ment to be that the building of the
Memorial at the Basin, while it might
be done within the limit of cost, would
entail further expenditures up to two
or three times that amount to provide
an adequate setting, and that the con-
tour of the Tidal Basin would be
changed and many cherry trees de-
stroyed.
Comment of Keller.
That both dollars and sentiments"
contributed toward making an unani-
nous decision in the committee was
stated by Chairman Keller, who dis
closed what had transpired in the
executive session.
Public sentiment is definitely
against the proposal of a memorial
commission" he emphasized.
I'VE realize that the Commission
OF Fine Arts approved the plan. but
the public, because of sentiment re-
garding the cherry trees and the
beautiful contour of the Tidal Basin
rejecting those blossoms, is vigor-
ously opposed to the use of that site.
The question of expense in making
this area a fitting setting for the
proposed memorial is important, but
we found during our hearings that
sentiment was more powerful than
cost considerations.
The large additional expenditure
estimated, which we consider excess
slve, compelled us to take action. We
were influenced also by the fact that
Frederick Law Olmstead, only sur
viving member of the Mcmillan Capt.
tai Planning Commission of 1901,
wrote us a powerful denunciation of
the plans for the Tidal Basin site. We
expect that our report will definitely
put an end to any future development
of the basin area for memorial We
are assuming full responsibility for
thus going contrary to the Mcmillan
plans
Plans to Write Report.
At today's session Chairman Keller,
who said he plans to write an un-
usually careful and thoughtful report,
expressed regret that in making the
original report on the Jefferson Memo
rial he had not more carefully studied
precedents and safeguarded Congress,
as was done in the case of the Lincoln
Memorial He read from the act of
Congress, approved February 9, 1911,
creating the commission, as follows:
To procure and determine upon a
location, plan and design for monu-
ment or memorial in the city of Wash
ington, District of Columbia, to the
memory of Abraham Lincoln, subject
to the approval of Congress" He en-
phasized that Congress reserved the
right of confirmation of the commits
slon's decisions and deplored that it
was now too late to revise the Jeffer-
son Memorial act along this line. He
pointed out that repeatedly through
out the Lincoln Memorial act zap
proval by Congress" was stressed. The
architects designs were on public ex-
hibition in the National Museum.
The Library Committee in its re-
port-yet to be written-does not in
tend to recommend any other site
for the memorial
In the meantime, Representative
Scott Democrat, Of California, who
has vigorously fought the erection of
the Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal
Basin and who has two bills pending
before the Library Committee, late
yesterday introduced resolution SINH
lar to the one introduced in the Sen
ate last week by Senator Schwellen-
bach, Democrat, of Washington, pro-
viding for trust fund for establish
ment and maintenance of a school of
American Government in honor Of
Thomas Jefferson at the University of
Virginia. Before coming to Congress
Representative Scott was a school
teacher in Arizona and Southern Cali
fornia.
His resolution provides that not
withstanding existing law giving the
Jefferson Memorial Commission au-
thor1ty to make plans for the con-
struction Of the memorial in Wash
ington, the commission shall expend
funds appropriated for its use to
create and maintain the proposed