Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-19
Disputed Sites

As one who has already
expressed approval Of the idea
that the old Pension Once
building would serve admit
rably TO house the National
Air Museum, ! am delighted
that Representative Dewitt
s. Hyde has undertaken to
support this plan.
After all. more is involved
In this problem than a site
for the Air Museum. It con-
Germs also q place in our Ma
tional Capital for a museum
dedicated to contemporary
arts and crafts. And the site
on the Mall now being sought
for the Air Museum happens
to be the last one available
for an art museum.
Increasingly the American
people are becoming more
aware Of their heritage and
their future in cultural fields.
Our intense interest In sci
ence is ingrained in our lives
and certainly our dedication
to aeronautics is beyond ques-
ton. OF course. we must have
such q museum. But equally,
we must cherish and promote
our esthetic fields as well.
Today we have a number
OF superb art galleries here.
But all Of these look to the
past. Just as our tourists are
eager to visit an air museum,
just so eager are they to see
what our artists today are
creating.
The Mall site which the
Smithsonian Institution would
like for its Air Museum is
placed in proximity to these
other galleries and would
therefore be ideal for such
a museum. What is more,
this site was indicated
for such a purpose as long
ago as 1888 when Public
Resolution 95 authorized the
establishment Of a Smith,
sonian Gallery of Art to be
located on the Mall opposite
the Mellon Gallery. In other
words, the site now under
discussion.
Included in this resolution
was the condition that such
q building should be paid for
by public subscription.
In this connection, I should
like to point out that Huntin-
ton Hartford, heir to q great
fortune, is today planning to
build in New York City a new
museum for contemporary
art. The site he has selected
Is very small. being only
5000 square feet. The site on
the Mall here is five acres.
Surely Mr.. Hartford could
find the deepest satisfaction
In furthering his dreams here
in Washington in being a
second Andrew Mellon by
rendering great service to his
country. And. no doubt.
there are other wealthy men
who would gladly join in
creating q great national art
gallery ranking with the
Luxembourg and Tate gal
leries which give great dis
tinction to France and
England.
incidentally, the report by
Senator Chavez, chairman Of
the Senate Commute on Pub
lie Works, states the National
Air Museum on the Mall
would be only large enough
to show the great "firsts" in
aviation. Storage facilities
would be maintained near
Washington for planes not to
be exhibited on the Mall. On
this point the Commission OF
Fine Arts noted that I'VE
understand also that the
space available in this loca-
ton is large enough to salts
fy only q greatly reduced part
OF the total program desir-
able for an air museum.
One salient fact energies
from Senate report No. 1887.
1t Is quite clear that the
Commission Of Fine Arts ac-
tually disapproved the Mall
location for the air museum.
Yet the Senate Public Works
Committee said the Mall site
was approved by the Fine
Arts Commission. In order to
set the record straight here is
what the commission actually
said:
THE site tentatively chosen
requires that q long-projected
museum for the display of
contemporary art win be dis
placed from . position where
1t was to balance the National
Gallery Of Art. The commits
sion is reluctant to see the
planned relationship between
the National Gallery and the
proposed art museum on the
Mall cast away, because this
is the last sits svailahla for q
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