Evening star., 1939-11-15
Present Americans
Believe as Jefferson,
Roosevelt Asserts
Corner Stone Is Luid
For Memorial
At Tidal Basin

Laying the cornerstone of the new
Jefferson Memorial on the banks of
the Tidal Basin, President Roosevelt
this afternoon declared that Amer
leans today believed with Jefferson
that "the average opinion of man
kind is in the long run superior to
the dictates of the self chosen"
Jefferson lived. said the President,
"as we live in the midst of strug-
gle between rule of the self f-chosen
individual or the self f-appointed few,
and rule by the franchise and ap-
proval of the many"
The United States, during all the
years after jefferson, has expanded
his philosophy. said the President,
into a greater achievement of Sc
curity Of the Nation, security of the
individual unit. than in any other
part of the world"
1T may be-" he conjectured, that
the conflict between the two forms
of philosophy will continue for CEN
turies to come, but we in the United
States are more than ever satisfied
with the republican form of govern
ment based on regularly recurring
opportunities to our citizens to
choose their leaders for themselves"
introduced by Gibboney.
President Roosevelt was intro
duced by Stuart G. Gibboney, chair
man of the Thomas Jefferson Me-
mortal Commission.
In his brief remarks prior to
presenting the chief executive, Mr..
Gibboney referred to the most
substantial progress" made on the
building since ground-breaking cere-
monies last December.
The foundations have been COM
pleted and the superstructure is
now we'll under way" he said. THE
Imperial Dandy Vermont marble
of the exterior and the Georgia
white marble used in the interior
Of the memorial are now being
set.
I'VE believe that the memorial
when completed will be admired
and acclaimed by the American
people as beautiful shrine dedi-
Gated to that far-seeing, progress
sive statesman-Thomas jefferson
and to the great liberal principles
for which he so valiantly con-
tended"
Mr.. Gibboney. referring to fire.
quent conferences with President
Roosevelt, declared the commission
was extremely grateful for the VAL
liable support, advice and assist
ance you have always so cheerfully
given us, and We are proud today to
welcome you here at this ceremony" :"
Jefferson Bible" Placed.
Into the cornerstone OF the me-
mortal has been put one Of the pri-
vate documents of the third Presi-
dent, known as "Jeffersons Bible"
which consists of nothing but the
quoted sayings of Christ.
In the introduction to the book,
which is copy OF the original, now
in the National Museum here, JET
ferson explains: Il have performed
this operation for my own use by
cutting verse by verse out of the
printed book and arranging the
matter which is evidently His, and
which is as easily distinguished as
diamonds in dunghill.'
Sublime Code of Morals.
The book, whose full title is The
Life and Morals Of Jesus of Naz-
areth," is characterized by Jefferson
as the most sublime and benevo-
lent code of morals which has ever
been offered to man"
Indicating the private nature of
the compilation which he made
from the Greek, Latin and French.
and translated himself into English.
Jefferson said he disclaimed any in
tentlon OF ever publishing the book.
Il not only write nothing on relie-
ion he said. but rarely permit
myself to speak on it."
Other documents which went into
the large corner stone box were COD
les of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, the Constitution of the United
States, and a l0-volume set of JEFF
ferSon's writings, CO apiled and edited
by Paul Leicester Ford. OF modern
interest, relating to the memorial
itself, was copy of the 1899 report
OF the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Commission, signed by President
Roosevelt and all members of the
commission.
Ceremony Broadcast.
The brief ceremony was broadcast
by all radio chains, and amplifled
for the benefit of the assembled
public.
President Roosevelt welded the
famous trowel used by George Wash
ington in laying the cornerstone OF
the Capitol and a gavel made from
a tree planted by Jefferson.
The National Park Service, which
is executive agent for the Thomas
Jefferson Memorial Commission in
erection of the structure, was rep
resented by several persons, in
Guiding Francis F. Gillen, who per-
sonally supervises the work.
Is = Denouement.
The cornerstone laying today is
the denouement of a long contro-
| versy, which involved not only the
kind of memorial to jefferson, but
the design and the site. The con-
troversy even became involved in a
fight about destruction of Japanese
cherry trees around the Tidal Ba-
sin. At one time a delegation OF
women marched to the site and
chained themselves to cherry trees in
protest against placing the memorial
there. A group sang Joyce Kill
mer's Trees" Assurances were
made that while some trees would
be destroyed, others would be plant
ed under policy already under
way of replacement.
Trees like people, have a span OF
| years. said one official explanation
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