The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-06
BY r. NJ. Larner.

washington, April 5.-The announce
nent that the famous Oak Lawn prop
ertv at the head of Connecticut ave-
nue. will probably be purchased by
some one of the foreign governments
for its embassy is taken here as putting
the ouietus, for another decade at
least. upon the movement to build a
ident of the United States and trans
form the famous White House into
presidential offices.
For a long time Oak Lawn, which is
ON the hill at the head of Connecticut
avenue, in the most aristocratic part
of Washington, has been held intact,
with the idea that some day it would
he purchased by the United States gov
eminent for the purpose indicated. 1t
is a large tract of land now occupied
by one of the famous old residents,
and would undoubtedly be an ideal
Mace for the presidential palace, were
such building to be erected. The
project has been agitated for a good
MANY years, and has had many advo-
Gates, especially among the patriotic
citizens who live in the vicinity or own
real estate nearby.
The argument has been advanced
that the White House does not meet
the demands of the presidential FAM
ily-that it is an antiquated structure
out of keeping with the dignity of the
presidential office, as that has grown
during recent years. Those persons
who seem to think that historic asso-
Citations ought to count for something
and that as long as the presidential
household can be made comfortable in
the White House, there should be no
change, have been met by the usual
arguments that rulers of other great
nations have far more magnificent pal
aces, and that historic associations
should count for nothing in a COM
mercial age like the present.
Naturally public men have been very
chary about approving this line of ar
gument The White House may not
have the dimensions of the palaces of
emperOrs and kings and it may not
have the elaborate interior decoration
of some of the modern sky-scraping
apartment houses; but it is pretty close
TO the hearts of the American people
and members of Congress have not
shown very great enthusiasm over the
suggestion that it should be abandoned
for residential purposes in the interest
of something new.
Nevertheless the argument in favor
of a change has been most persistent
and the holders of available real es-
tate on the hills in the suburbs of
Washington have been full of hope. 1t
has been generally recognized that
this Oak Lawn property possess adj
vantages in location over any other
tract which might be regarded avail
able, but there are other pieces which
for some time have been held with the
idea that they might figure prominent
ly in this connection. One of these
is at the head of Sixteenth street, the
broad avenue which leads directly to
the front of the White House.
The report that the Oak Lawn prop
erty was to go to the British govern
ment is denied by Sir Michael Herbert,
the ambassador representing King
Edward and his government, but it
seems to be well established that the
owners are negotiating with some for
eisn government. 1t is presumed
that thiSiS either the Russian govern
ment or the government of France.
In either event it is we'll established
that the property is going to pass into
other hands than those which have
held it for some years, and that the