Evening star., 1938-03-24
MEMORIAL PLANS
CUT SIZE IN HALF.
Jefferson Commission May
Announce Complete
Arrangements Soon.
BACKGROUND

JcTSOH, UHtHOT " DcCtuTuLtOU o. III
dependence, NTH appropriate mon
nnent in Washington, eliminated
in creation of Jefferson Memorial
Commission, charged With choos-
ing design and site Commissions
announcement last year of elab-
crate plan inUolUing encrodchment
on Tidal Basin and destruction of
many cherry trees precipitated
storm OF opposition. led to reconsid-
GRAFTON OF design and site.
While the Thomas Jefferson Me-
mortal Commission Is not scheduled to
announce flnal plans for the memorial
until next Tuesday, it was learned
today the revised drawings contem-
plate a design only half the size of
that originally provided by the New
York architect, the late John Russell
Pope.
AS originally planned the jefferson
Memorial. proposed for the south shore
Of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac
Park. would have approximated the
size Of the Lincoln Memorial. One of
the prime objections lodged against
the Pope plans was that they would
have created q memorial that would
compete with the Lincoln Memorial.
In an effort to eliminate this, the
sponsors have now cut the first pro-
gram in half.
Government officials, studying the
layout Of the new design, said it would
be on the true axis OF the White
House and $50 feet south of the wall
Of the Tidal Basin. This, they ex-
planned, would bring it in the middle
Of the cricket field in West Potomac
Park, near Lower Fourteenth street
and the Highway Bridge.
Although this program would save
the famed japanese cherry trees, now
in bloom, and leave the Tidal Basin
intact, it is still open to objection, a
canvass OF the situation today revealed
Various protests were received by the
commission when previous plans re-
vealed that the contour of the Tidal
Basin would be changed and most Of
the japanese cherry trees endangered
The commissions enabling act au-
thoriZes expenditure of $4,000, 900 for
the memorial. but this money has not
yet been appropriated.
Those who previously voiced objec-
tions to the Tidal Basin site said the
new design is still undesira BILE, for they
nnntonHad that xx,in Lax 10
be expended in creating the founda-
tions for the memorial The farther
south one goes in that locality, au-
thorities said, the deeper one has to
bore to find solid foundations of rock,
as the shelf slopes southwark
Army engineers conducted borings
at the new site in March and April of
last year and they discovered that rock
was encountered at from 80 to 100
feet This work was done under the
supervision of the district engineer for
the War Department for the WASH
ington area. at the request of the
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commits
sion. Last year. at the head of WASH
ington Channel, which is not far from
the new site. piles were driven down
so feet by the Army engineers without
striking rock, they said.
Some Federal Government authori-
ties still oppose placing any memorial
in that section of the city. contending
that the Lincoln Memorial. the WASH
ington Monument and the Arlington
Memorial Bridge and its ornamental
tions already give a suf1icient mass
To add another memorial to that area
would create the spectacle Of over
balance" they asserted.
There are advocates of a program
to have the Thomas Jefferson Memo
rial take utilitarian form rather than
be Just another useless pile of mar
ble." and foremost among these are
the construction of great public au-
ditorium here or stadium at the end
of East Capitol street. alongside the
Anacostia River But unless sufI1cient
sentiment can be aroused in Congress
to make this practicable. when the
question of funds for the building of
the memorial comes up ofiicials be-
lieve that this plan stands slim chance
of adoption at this time.