Evening star., 1938-04-21
DOMED SHRINE
HIT AT HEARING
Jefferson Design Is Called
More Suitable for
Wedding Cake

The proposed design for domed
monument to Thomas Jefferson was
described as more suitable for we'd
ding cake than for national memo
rial structure, at House Library
Committee hearing today.
This criticism came from Eams c.
McVeagh, housing specialist and one
of several supporters Of Chairman
Keller's bill to require selection of the
Jefferson Memorial design through
architectural competition, to appear
before the committee.
At the same time, Chairman Boylan
of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Commission issued a statement de-
Tending selection of the domed monu-
n1ent design and declaring public
building activity always had been
subject to criticism.
There even was a stubborn contest
over the location of a Capital City and
Washington won only by compromise
worked out by Mr., jefferson and Alex
ander Hamilton" Mr. Boylan said.
His Fault, Keller Says.
Mr.. Keller said the present con-
troVersy over a site and design for
the Jefferson Memorial was largely his
fault for not studying closely enough
the original resolution, which gave
broad powers to the Memorial Com
mission
His purpose in the pending bill, Mr..
Keller said, is to correct the previous
legislation so as to let Congress itself
decide on the site and design after
competition in which leading archi-
tects would be invited to submit de-
signs for approval.
Mr. McVeagh's reference to the
domed monument design approved by
Mr.. Boylans commission as "a squatty
dome which would be a splendid de-
sign for wedding cake. jewe. box or
radio cabinet highlighted criticism
commissions recommendations.
H. P. Caemmerer, secretary of the
Commission of Fine Arts, told the
Library Committee neither his group
nor the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission had approved
the recommended design, but had ap-
proved site south of the Washington
Monument as fitting for another de-
sign than the pantheon scheme" Sc
lected by the Boylan commission.
Backs Caemmerer's Idea.
Chairman Keller supported Mr..
Csemmerer's contention that the de-
sign must be fitted to the lay of the
land. Mr.. Caemmerer said the COM
petition proposed in the Keller bill
surely would make a suitable design
available by the time Congress con-
Venes for its next session.
Julian E. Berla. representing the
League for Progress in Architecture
argued that the proposed competition
should not be restricted to a selected
group of architects Mr.. Keller ex-
planned his purpose was to allow
any one to submit designs, but to in
vlte limited number of leading archi-
tects especially to enter the competi-
ton
Mr.. Boylan emphasized in his state
ment. issued in lieu of a speech he
had planned to make in the House,
that the selection Of "a site and a de-
sign for memorial or any other sort
OF public structure is difficult and
historically is subject to criticism"
History Is Cited.
History shows" he said. "that we
have worked long and hard over the
proposed Jefferson Memorial. We de-
clded on location and form; we
could erect domed monument, a
form greatly admired by Mr.. Jefferson
himself, father of public architecture
In the United States, on site south
OF the Washington Monument"
He added that he realized criticism
vas to be expected but said we feel
that We will be supported as other
similar agents have been in the past"
In looking back over the history
OF this Nation" he continued. IT find
that many controversies over build
ings and memorials have been solved
satisfactorily.
There was the stubborn contest over
the location Of the Capital City. Pres
ident Polk worried over the selection
OF site for the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition over 100 years ago, and the
Washington Monument, now so pop
nlar, was considered a joke by some
critics.
The splendid Lincoln Memorial.
site and design, caused an acrimonious
debate and flibuster in Congress. Now.
NOBODY would remove it or undertake
to improve it, The charge of graft was
made during the consideration of the
report Of the commission for its es-