The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-17
Meeting at Residence Of Henry
F. BLou4t Tonight to Take
Action Looking to Con-
certed Effort in That
Direction.
hclosure It Is Sought to
ReScue From Modern Lcono-
clasm Among the Most In
teresting Relics ofMedfeVal
ForfifficationS.

against the improvement of Manila at
the sacrifice of the ancient walled city
will be adopted tonight at a meeting to
he held at The Oaks" the beautiful
home Of Mr.. and Mrs. Henry F. Blount,
S1O1 U Street
AT this meeting a form of resolution
will be approved, and this will be fol-
lowed by the different patriotic socie-
ties interested in II. movement. The
societies will adopt the resolutions and
will forward these TO Secretary Root and
members OF the Philippine Commission.
and It is even suggested a copy should
be sent TO the President.
Among the societies to be represented
at the meeting tonight are the Pro Re
Nata Society. of which Mrs. Blount is
president; Twentieth Century Club.
which started the movement; Daughters
and Sons OF the American Revolution.
the Women's International Press Asso-
citation, the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, Founders and Patriots, Society for
the Preservation of Historical Monu-
ments, of which General Schofeld Is
president. and many other patriotic and
influential organizations.
Committees Are Working.
Committees are already working in an
effort TO make the movement national
in character. Responses are coming in
from different parts of the country. and
these are compiled by the Twentieth
Century Club for future use. The meet
ing tonight will authorize the work TO
-
and committees will start out within a
few days to visit Boston, Chicago, Phila-
delphia, New York, and other cities.
The work will be taken up by others
not in these societies. Newspapers are
commenting favorably on the movement
and expressions of prominent men
everywhere are encouraging.
The work that is intended is explained
in an eloquent appeal sent throughout
the country. 1t says:
A Rare Inheritance.
Through the strange fortunes of war
We. the youngest nation in the world,
have become possessed of one of the old
est cities OF the Orient, and outside OF
China. probably the only one whose ven
Hchen-covered. grown. bright with
tropical flowers and shrubs that have
rooted in the crevices and along the cop
ing. are three miles in extent, twenty
feet in height, forty feet wide at the
base, and broad enough at the top for
two carriages TO drive abreast.
The gates are an epitome of the his
tory OF architecture. In some may be
seen the curious winding entrance, the
inches where the archers were stationed
and other characteristics of medieval
times In some, the lower parts are clas-
sic, while the upper, which have been
destroyed by war or earthquake, have
been repaired in Japanese or Korean
forms. Deep cut in the stones may be
seen peculiar heraldic devices. and above
them. carved in teakwood are the royal
arms OF Spain.
THE moat surrounding the walls is
spanned by interesting and massive
stone bridges, and the triangular area
Enclosed by them contains many pic
turesque buildings. And in this little
spot America has the nucleus for the
most beautiful city in the world-a
city that Will draw to it the stream of
tourists who now annually spend
thousands of dollars In Europe, India
and Japan.
Europe's Bids for Tourists.
Tourists now go to Edinburgh,
where the people have been wise
enough TO preserve the magnificent
castle, to convert the sloping sides of
the old moat into a garden. and beside
1t create Prince Street, one of the
handsomest thoroughfares in the world
Tourists go to Nuremberg. with its in
struments of torture that thrill. and its
quaint buildings that delight the travel
er, and where to destroy relics is con-
sidered unpatriotic sacrilegious and,
above all. wastefuI There is also
Vienna. where Teutonic wisdom has
gathered all the magnificent buildings
Of that farfamed capital into the wide
circular sweep Of the Ringstrasse, and
so made of this city one of the most i'm
pressive in Europe There Is Carcass
some, that unoccupied, fortified medic
val city which the French government
has restored and maintains purely as a
bhO" place 10 attract travellers
Manila possesses the possibilities of
all these places. and has in addition a
driveway more beautiful than Chicago's
famous Lake Shore boulevards. for
while It has on one side the same wide
sweep Of water, on the other it has its
own stately walls. And 1t is especially
important not 10 repeat here the ire
trIevable mistake that Chicago made
when Il yielded the south shore 10 com
mercial purposes.
I'VE have fallen heir not only % q re-
marksble city. but TO one Alled with
splendid buildings in state Of excellent
preservation. Such possessions az these
constitute today. directly and indirectly,
the financial support OF all Italy. Shall
all these possibilities be neglected and
ancient Manila relinquished to commerce
alone, or shall We by vigorous action
now preserve ii in its unique beauty an
eternal possession for ourselves and our
posterity?
IF In the limited area of New York
city 1t has been found advisable and