Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-02
LoNDoN's CIVIC REVIVAL.
Creating Beauty in the Grand Old Town
That Grew Without a Plan.

From the Boston Transcript.
1t is not easy, perhaps. for the average
human Imagination to adjust itself to
thoughts of beauty in connection with the
city of London. This Is practically admit
ted by the Christian World of that city.
1t confesses that the London sights are
pictures In the very worst of settings
London is under the tyranny of the &C
complished fact of a fact that went before
the idea. In Germany the modern city
grows In the mind before It is allowed to
precipitate into bricks and mortar. The
plan comes first, a plan thought out with
all consideration for the artistic economic
Ideal. In England matter has come first; a
tumble of 1t. covering the countryside with
cheap, unlovely structures, the only mind
discern bic there being that of the specula-
tor and the jerry-builder.''
Yet in spite of these damaging admissions.
the article in which they appear is headed
1.-The City Beautiful" and it deals with
London exclusively. rot the London of the
past nor yet of the present, but of the pro-
phetc future. 1t is a profession of optl
mistic vision, profound faith i'll a COM
prehensive reaction based upon awaken
ing consciousness of existing defects. There
are encouraging signs that seem to war
rant this. The mill ons that are being spent
in expanding. extending and beautifytng
boulevards and squares, in letting in the
light and sunshine into the cramped and
dingy city, is earnest of new c:vic i'll
splratiou, and it is time that 1t became man.
ifest. There are no more beautiful country
scenes in the world than in England, but
only about 20 per cent of the population of
that country get the benefit OF them. The
other 50 per cent are towlsmen, and they
are Just beginning to awake and take an in
ventory of their imperfections and measure
the dire neglect of their potentialties.
But says the prophet of the new oidcr,
when we have examined structures. roads
and the crowds that throng them, the 1ues-
ton next is, what of the institutions. the
social laws that are governing and guiding
all this? How are these people related. to
each other, and how does their relation af-
feet the general wellbeing" For here are
the possibilities of another ugliness or an
other beauty that surpasses UNNECESSARILY
the grimness of the slum or the splendor of
the palace. Our city will never be beautiful
until its invisible. greatest side has been
purified and shaped into a new pattern"
In all municipal life there Is an Intimate
interplay between the tangible and invisible
interests of society. If we see progress and
uplft on the one hand, we may hope for 1t
and reasonably assume It on the other.
And here, too. as well as on the material
side. Germany is laid under tribute for
practical suggestions. THE cberfeld sys-
TEN, established in all the great cities there
is the first step toward a practical human
solidarity This system, in which the nlu-
nicipalty organizes an army Of unpaid VS.
itors of the poor, acting under central
board of direction, and which secures mat
either by self-help or by the aid of the nlu-
nicipality through the visitors, every man,
woman and child is secured from absolute
privaton in the matter of food, clothing
and warmth. is already coming into opera
ton in England" We have already in
stanced the battle that the Salvation Army,
under it's commander in this country. IS
making against dependency by its system
of farms, which brings the poo back to the
land. But General Booth has been setting
the pace for the cities of England along the
same lines These" says the Christian
World, ARE only the beginning. They are
the pioneer works of an applied Christian
ity Before this new spirit has finished its
task it will have reconstructed society from
top to bottom" Let US hope SO.