Evening star., 1938-12-16
Jefferson Memorial
Begun After Talk
By Roosevelt
Democrocy's Pioneer Is .
Louded by President
At TiduI Busin

Foundation work was under way
today on the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial after President Roosevelt,
at ground-breaking exercises yes
terday, lauded Jefferson for his
services in establishing American
Government as a democracy.
The President spoke from his open
car at what will be the exact center
Of the 100000 shrine on the south
bank of the Tidal Basin opposite
Washington Monument. He said
millions of citizens who visit WASH
ington annually will have a sense
of gratitude that at last an ade-
quate permanent memorial to
Thomas Jefferson has been placed
at this spot"
The site Is one selected after
months of controversy, which CEN
tered largely around the removal
of some of the famous Japanese
cherry trees. When this agitation
was intensified recently an appeal
was made to Mr.. Roosevelt to delay
the work on the memorial, but he
refused.
Ceremony Marks Anniversary.
The day the President picked for
the ceremonies was the 147th an
niversary of the adoption of the
American Bill of Rights.
At the conclusion of his brief ad-
dress Mr.. Roosevelt handed a gilded
spade decorated with red and white
ribbons to Stuart M. Gibboney, act
ing chairman Of the Thomas JET
ferson Memorial Commission, who
turned the first spadeful of earth.
It was the spade that has been used
by every President since Mckinley
for similar ceremonies and was used
to break ground for the Lincoln
Memorial, the Arlington Amphithe-
ater, Arlington Memorial Bridge
and the Grant, Meade and Bu-
chanan Memorials.
Mrs. Roosevelt and Mr.. Gibboney
rode with the President to the site,
and Mrs. Roosevelt sat in the car
beside him as he spoke. His ad-
dACoo wac NJ OdOSdSG ONCl I'LL &C lld.
tional chains, and loud speakers
carried his words to several hun
dred men and women who braved
chilling afternoon to attend the
exercises.
Among those present were Secre-
tary of War Woodring, Senator Key
Pittmsn of Nevada and Secretary
Of Commerce Roper, whose resigna-
ton from the cabinet was announced
yesterday.
Lauds Role in Democracy.
The President said jefferson has
been recognized by our citizens not
only for the outstanding part which
he took in the drafting of the
Declaration of Independence itself,
not only for his authorship of the
Virginia statute for religious free
dom, but also for services he rem
dered in establishing the practical
operation of the American Govern
ment as a democracy and not an
autocracy.
For very many years." Mr. Roose-
velt continued, ut has seemed appro-
pirate that, with Washington and
Lincoln. his services should be held
in memory by the erection of a
monument of equal dignity. We
are breaking ground today for such
memorial. The Congress Of the
United States, through a distin-
guished commission, has after long
consideration chosen this site and
made the first appropriation for the
erection of the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial"
Mr.. Gibboney opened the exer-
cises by reviewing briefly the COM
missions work since its authorize
ton in 1884 until the present.
Arrangements for the exercises
were made under the direction of
Albert Oyde-Burton of the National
Capital Parks Office.