New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-21
WHITE HOUSE ALTERATIONS.

II has nor been generally supposed that the
long mooted project OF enlarglnS the "hi'c
House at Washington was likely to De carried
ont in the near future So far as we are aware,
nobody denies that the dual occupation OF the
building, for public and private purposes mas
become inconvenient II is not large enough 10
meet the present requirements both OF Il resi-
dence and an office, and ii consequently SuDJects
the President, his family and those VINO nave
business to transact at the Executive Mahsioh
to various annoyances from which they ought
to be relieved But while these facts are ad-
mitted, and numerous suggestions of improve
ment have attracted more or less attention from
time to time the discussion has never appeared
TO be on the verge of passing into action II
the plans which Colonel Bingham exhibited last
week in connection with the centennial ceebra-
tion at Washington stimulate interest in the
subject they may to that extent serve uSe1ul
purpose Thus far. however. their chief erect
has seemingly been to evoke protest against
their adoption from numerous artistic and archl-
tectural societies-a protest which we mink is
deserving of general support.
We heartily agree to the proposition that the
President should be enabled to perform his
public duties as easily as possible and TO be
provided with the material requisites for
thoroughly comfortable domestic life. Perhaps
those ends could best be met by establishing the
Executive office in a separate building and re-
serving the White House for the private use OF
the Presidential family. However the scheme
now and usually proposed is that the White
House should be made large enough for both
PURPOSES and such an alteration ought not to
be authorized except in strict accordance with
plans approved by persons competent to pro-
nounce upon their merits The drawings sub
mitted by Colonel Bingham have not been so
approved, and if, as is alleged, there is posi-
bility of their hasty adoption, the Fine Arts
Union of Washington and other kindred asso-
Citations have not spoken too soon or too ear
nestly in warning and protest
Their recommendation is that an expert COM
mission should be created to consider the ques-
ton, and that no alterations of or additions to
the White House should be executed without its
approval. The original suggestion was that this
commission should be appointed by the presi-
dents of the American Institute Of Architects,
the National Sculpture Society and the National
Academy of Design; but the Fine Arts Fedora
ton of this city advises properly we think, that
the President of the United States should select
the commission from list of experts submitted
to him by the presidents Of those organizations.
Either method of appointment would doubtless
result in the choice Of men qualified to protect
one of the most interesting buildings in the
country from i'll treatment AS we have said,
we have not supposed that any definite step was
likely to follow the present discussion but it is
we'll to take no risks, and for that reason we
should be glad to see a competent commission
invested with control of the matter.