The Washington herald., 1907-04-02
SIXTEENTH STREETS NAME.
Avenue Of the Presidents II WIN
Hereafter BE Called.

Hereafter BE Called.
/ Editor The Washington Herald
Your article OF this morning on the re-
naming Of Sixteenth street reprinted from
the New York Evening PosD is mislead-
ing. Il states that contrary to the wishes
Of Sixteenth street residents the Com
misiOners of the District declined To have
/ the name changed 80 Avenue Of the Pres
idents. This is a mistake in that the
name that win suit both Col Biddle and
Mr.. West is what the residents Of SIX
teenth street most prefer. Mr Macfar-
lands first and last choice (de rigueuri is
the same as was Mr.. John Hays, also IS
Nr. BaIthoidts, chairman Of Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee of the
House, viz, Avenue Of the Presidents.
Mr. Macfarland tells Of an old map in
the District office on which the name Of
Sixteenth street is made avenue OF the
Ambassadors" Il was the intention Of
the government at that time to present "a
square on Sixteenth street 10 each Of tie
foreign governments provided each would
Immediately erect an embassy OF a iega-
ton building upon II. Our country was
Ata7 A44s sfAi AttaiA AAAfA anu AGka AtEG Atl
embassadorial outfits was not pressing.
THE name Avenue Of the Presidents, %
continued Mr. mcfarland, SIS no less
dignifed and eminenuy suitable ia that
olt-tiaa Ircriseaez but TNas,lssssst -lired
at the head OF the street, overlooking it
as patron sentinels- The name Presidents
avenue or Presidential avenue would be
shorter, bat could not so well convey the
idea Of more Presidents than one"
When one comes to think of X, there is
added dignity in a long name. ThOmas
Worthington Jones gives a better impress
sion than Tom Jones-that is for d grown
up person. We would not have the names
PENNSYLVANIA avenue OF Massachusetts
avenue sh1rtened-bOth having the same
number Of syilabies as Avenue of the
Presidents. The abbreviation Of the latter
could be Ave. Pres.
The name Of the street viii be changed
By Congress and not by the Commits
siOners, and the choice Of a name of a
considerable number Of Sixteenth street
residents has heretofore been Executive
avenue" (also my own choice for timel
4 reason for abandoning that name is
that Senators Hale, Foraker. and Carter
also Justice Brown and few others, have
been as adamant against it, we might
as Well cau it Legislation avenue OF EX-
ecution avenue. eNclaim they, and
moreover il is not distinctive in that there
is an executive mansion IN every State Of
the Union. When Congress was about
to adopt this name several years ago, the
protest against 1t By influential persons
prevented further action
The initials OF White House avenue too
nearly resemble these OF New Hampshire
avenue, which precludes consideration OF
that name; so the choice 'aarrows down
"a Presidents avenue. Presidential avenue.
and Avenue OF the Presidents The latter
name also gains force in the idea of
having all the Presidential memorials on
this. one of the longest, broadest. and
most splendidly located avenues In all
America. viz. seven miles in a straight
line from the White House to the District
line, and fifty miles further on to the
Gettysburg Park
Says the New York Evening Post: we
suggest that "a test case be made by
some one addressing "a letter to such aud
such d number Avenue Of the Presidents
and then suing the government when
postmen fail 70 deliver It,"
This shows the invaTiable good taste
of that eminent journal, and we may re-
ply that a compact has already been
made by a number OF Sixteenth street
residents who lately had their cards and
letter paper stamped Avenue of the
Presidents" and moreover letters by the
mail have been promptly delivered.
MARY P. HENDERSON.
Avenue OF the Presidents.