The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-21
FRozE OUT AMERICAN BIDDERS.
London County Council Afraid Its New
Street Would be American.
Z L


Soreness over all the talk about the Amer
lean invasion is going to be the chief cause
of the architectural ruin of what was to
have been the handsomest business street
in London. The London County Council
began spending SIS, 600 900 last year in tear
ing a great hole through one of the most
crowded districts, from the Strand up TO
Holborn. to make broad street which was
to be lined with such beautiful business
blocks that it was confidently expected 1T
would be the handsomest business thor
oughfare in the world.
AS soon as the London County Council
got control of the land it began to receive
offers from American capitalists who want
ed to put up sky-scrapers. They were
willing TO pay any reasonable rates and
abide by any reasonable conditions, and
they had the money behind them. The
Council was pleased to have such good
customers, and in consequence plans were
forthcoming for one of the greatest Office
buildings in the world on the best site in
the new street and for a number of other
buildings to be put up by American capital.
Then Constant Reader" began to growl
in the columns of his favorite newspaper
that he wasn't helping the municipality to
raise $2S,000.000 simply to open new oppor-
tunities for the American invasion. There
was so much Of this sort of talk, regardless
of the fact that the Americans were offer
ing fancy prices, that the County Council
began to get frightened. 1 am informed
that no less person than Lord Rosebery,
ex-premier. who was the first president
of the Council, said, when he saw the
number Of American applications for sites
IF we entertain all these offers the new
street will be nothing more than a minia-
ture New York. Even though it may not
be good finance, we cannot have our first
great thoroughfare promenade of Amer
lean stores"
Private influence from other influential
sources was also brought to bear on the
Council to shut out the Americans, and il
was conceived that the best way TO do II
was to refuse permission for sky-scrapers
and to grant only an eighty years lease,
which would render Improbable the great
buildings proposed, the entire struc-
ture would become the property of the
Council at the end of the lease
But it seems to have escaped the alten-
ton Of the county statesmen that the re-
strictions which cut off American oppor-
tunities likewise made ii improbable for
British capitalists to put up costly build
fngs on Ktngsway, as the new street has
been named. The result is that what was
TO have been the worlds finest CONNER
cial avenue is to be lined with the cheapest
buildings that the supervising architects
will tolerate. The first structure to be
completed in this new thoroughfare is ut
terly without dignity, and its neighbors are
to be like unto II.
Every one of the American applications
for sites on the new street has been With
drawn. Among the plans thus nipped in
the bud were a huge American depart
ment store, theater for the Frohmans
and another theater which a lavish adj
mirer of Edna May proposed to build for
her, and for the site of which he had Of
ferred 100000.