WASHINGTON, May 20 — A former Attorney General demanded - today that William Walton, chairman of the Fine Arts Commission of Washington, disqualify himself from passing on the revised design for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.  Francis Biddle charged at a meeting of the commission that Mr. Walton was biased against the design.  Mr. Biddle based his contention on an article by Mr. Walton in the March 15 issue of The New York Times Magazine, in which he said the design “probably will never be built, at least not in Washington.”  Such a statement, Mr. Biddle told Mr. Walton today, “is a declaration that you have already made up yourmind.”  The Biddle demand was quickly rejected.  “With the full support of my commission,” Mr. Walton said, “I decline to disqualify myself and assureyou that you will be given an unbiased hearing on the new design.”  Mr. Biddle, Attorney General tinder President Roosevelt, is chairmanof the commission to erect a memorial to him. Mr. Walton, a Washington artist, was a close friend of President Kennedy.  The Biddle‐Walton exchange came during a hearing at which the revised design was unveiled. The original design was rejected by Congress two years ago.  The new design is similar to the original one. It still has eight concrete steles—tabletshaped pillars. However, the pillars have been scaled down and a statue of Mr. Roosevelt ,added.  Under the original design the greatest height would have been 167 feet. This has been cut to 130 feet.  The memorial would be erected in West Potomac Park, within sight of the Lincoln and Jeffer son Memorials and the Washington Monument.  Both the original and the revised designs were done by the architectural firm of Pedersen, Tilney, Hoberman, Wasserman, Beer. Its plan was chosen from more than 500 entries several years ago.  Congress Has Final Say The memorial has been plagued almost from the start. The original design was turned down by the Fine Arts Commission, whose membership has since changed. A House committee later overturned the Fine Arts Commission's recommendation. But the design ,was rejected by the House.  Later, Congress passed a joint resolution asking that the design be revised. Congress has the final say on what type of memorial—if any—will be built.  The design has been widely criticized in recent years. One critic called it “instant Stonehenge.”  A decision by the Fine Arts Commission may be made next month, Mr. Walton said. No action was taken today, he said, because of the absence of several members, Hideo Sasaki, Airs. Mine B. Saarinen and Theodore Roszak.  Other members are John Carl Warnecke, Gordon Bunshaft, Burnham Kelly and Linton R. Wilson.  This article can be viewed in its original form. Please send questions and feedback to archive_feedback@nytimes.com
Revised design for proposed Washington, DC, memorial shown, Fine Arts Comm; F Biddle charges chmn Walton is biased against design and should disqualify self from voting on it; cites Walton's Mar 15 article