After Widener Collection. 
The executive committee of the board^ 
of regents of the Smithsonian Institu¬ 
tion is to let no grass grow under its 
feet in its endeavors' to procure for 
Washington the extraordinary art col¬ 
lection of the late P. A. B. Widener of 
Philadelphia, in which possibility art 
patrons both official and residential 
of this city have shown so much in- 
I terest since the announcement that Jo- 
i seph E. Widener, the son, is empowered 
to dispose of the treasures to New 
York, Philadelphia or Washington. 
Already, it is understood, the com¬ 
mittee lias taken up the matter diplo¬ 
matically with Mr. Widener in order to 
convince him, if possible, that the Na¬ 
tional Capital is the logical resting 
place of the collection. 
May Delay Decision. 
it has been stated, in this connection 
that Joseph E. Widener may not at | 
| once give the collection to any one of* 
three municipalities named, or, as has 
been suggested, divide it among two or 
more of them. He may keep the col¬ 
lection intact for his own personal use 
and enjoyment, as he has a right to do, 
and its final disposition may not be 
settled for a. term of years. But its 
coming to Washington either in the 
near future or ultimately is the thing 
desired. 
The board of regents of the Smith¬ 
sonian Institution would undoubtedly 
have charge of the Widener collection 
should it be brought here, and hence it 
is regarded as the logical organization 
to take the matter up with Mr. Wid- 
i ener. 
Capital Proper Place. 
1 
“The people of the United Stales 
must be made to realize that Washing¬ 
ton is the best place to put permanent 
memorials,” said Charles Moore, presi¬ 
dent of the commission of fine arts, 
last night, in discussing the matter. 
“I think it most important to call, not 
only to Mr. Widener’s attention, but to 
the attention of -the American people 
generally, the . example of .Mr. Freer of 
Detroit, who has arranged that his fa¬ 
mous art collection shall come to the 
capital, not at his death, but in the 
near future. 
“The sum of $500,000 originally set 
aside for the building situated in the 
Mall, which Mr. Freer has planned to 
house his treasures, proving inadequate, 
he has doubled that sum, and other in¬ 
cidental expenses increase as his ideas 
grow. Mr. Freer has spent some $15,- 
000 on works by St. Gaudens to adorn 
the gardens of the inner court of the 
gallery, which arc to be scarcely less 
important and impressive than the me¬ 
morial building itself.” 
