The Washington herald., 1907-10-28

of Americans.
To-day. had l. Enfants idea been car
ried out. there would have been nothing
equal 40 il in the world. But, as we ali
know. it was not carried out Instead,
the Mall was laid off in winding walks
and drives and cluttered up with trees
planted az random in futile imitation of
nature; so that now il is about the best
place in the city TO go if you don't want
to set the Capitol
The Curve I'm Landscape.
"The guiding principle Of the landscape
gardeners Of the mid-Victorian period
(that period In which were perpetrated
so many horrors in the name of archi-
tecture), the spacious dogma to the effect
that the curve is the line of beauty,
may be very suitably applied TO the lay
out of an ordinary park, a cemetery, or
the grounds OF a small private estate;
but where stateliness Of effect is desired
as in the approaches to great public build
ings it would be the supremest folly TO
rely entirely upon this pretty little doc
trine one has only To see the magnificent
avenue at Blenheim, with its four rows
of enormous oaks, or Hampton Court
Park. or almost any of the great show
places OF England. France. or Italy. 10
be convinced OF this.
''The principal reason why the Mall i'm
provement scheme has not stirred up
more enthusiasm is because no really
vivid conception of what it means can be
gained from mere inspection Of the draw
ings and models. had never felt more
than a very languid interest in il until one
fine October morning. after my first ar
rival in Paris when, standing In the gate
way of the garden Of the Tuileries,
looked out across the Place de Ia Con-
corde and up the long vista between the
yellOwing trees Of the Champs Elysees to
where the great Arch of the Star loomed,
blue and cloudlike, through a veil OF sill
very mist and sunshine It came over me
all at once that. if the park commission
plan for the Mall We're carried out, some
thing like this. or perhaps even surpass-
ing it, might be had in Washington.
What a fine thing it would be if the
sovereign people of America could prove
TO the world that, in the matter of civic
art. our country was not entirely given
over to the Philistine-that here, in the
Capital Of our republic. we could retrieve
the mistakes of the past, and, in the
future development of the city. surpass
even the grandest works OF popes and
emperors.
Ont with the VandaIs
But, alas II seems that this is not
to be. For somewhere down in the
Botanic Gardens there grows a little tree,
planted not so very many years ago by
an estimabIe gentleman now deceased,
and if this little tree Is touched many
estimable hearts viii bleed. And more
over, it has been just discovered that this
great park commission once spoken Of
with bated breath, in terms Of Teverential
respect, is nothing after all but a gang
of vandals, utterly repudiated by Con-
gress; a crew Of villainOus architects,
who would foist their plans upon the un-
suspectlng public nolcns volens, and ruth
lessIy lacerate the tenderest feelings. Ho.
no, Out upon them, Let loose the dogs
Of war! Sick the expOsers on them at
once, We VIII tear every rag Of their
pretense from them and leave them shiv-
ering i'm their naked villainy! And on
Thanksgiving morn, down in the Botanic
Gardens, all good citizens viii meet, and
there, with clasped hands with thankful
hearts intact. and large tears of joy
dropping from the tips Of their estimable
noses. they viii lift up their melodious
voices and sing that touching and beauti-
ful ballad beginning, 'WOOdman, spare
that tree""
Hating Great Work.
The Philadelphia Press. edited by Hon
Charles Emory Smith, former Postmas-
ter General, under the caption Of "A
Great Improvement Halted" editoriaIly
discusses the subject as follows.
The improvement Of Washington City under the
plan of the PARK commission Of experts. Is halted
because il involves The displacement of few trees.
The ruthless uniutelligent destruction Of trees un-
der the urateuse Of Improvement Is a familiar
crime which We have had many occasions To de-
rl0re and 20 lament that 1t is not punishable by
law. But there are greater interests than indI-
gidual trees. and when these interests and trees
come into conflict IL is foolish % i'll the land with
Wailing because Gf the necessary tree sacrifice Il is
10 halt the improvement altogether and treat
the impeding trees though they were some sacred
and iuvi1labe shrine
Tie commission. consisting Of Daniel Il. Burnham
Frederick Law Olmstead and others. in their COM
ureh-usirs park system proposed that the National
be treated as q broad thOrCughfare. enriched with
uarterres Of green, so as % make a continuous
thor0Ughfare TO the Mall. They suggested that the
monument 90 the memory Of Gen. Ulysses 5. Grant
already provided for be the chief decoration q the
territory. with figures Of his two great generals
Sherman and Sheridan They added:
Brilliantly Illuminated, cmbellished with fouu-
taius. and commanded by terraces. this square
would compare fav0rably, in both extent and treat
ment. with the Place do Ia COnC0rdc in Paris"
-.frr. NI.at .---,
Botanic Garden and other spots for greenhouses to
raise flowers for COHTesSmen. But the proposed
treatment Of this territory win interfere with SINE
trees and here is where the shrek Is made One
cf the trees planted by the late senator Beck II
Kentucky. The late Senator Howard Of Michigan.
r. shepherd are also represented By a treo each
Because Of tender associations with these statesmen
a halt has been called upon the park commission 5
improvement Of this point.
As sentimental association IS with the trees and
not with the spots they occupy, The trees need not
be destroyed. They can be removed % some other
CugCnIl place. and if sufficient pains is taken they
can be removed without injury and without requiT-
iuE amy radical cutting back. The locations Of large
trees have been changed without injury 10 the trees
in many notable instances, and even If II should
happen that these particular trees refuse To accom-
modate themselves TO change Of base the greater
good % De accomplished by the change rather than
q sentimental attachment 70 these old trees should
control the situation.
The influence Of this expert commission has Sc
cured the removal Of the railroad tracks from the
Mall Their intention is 20 restore the plan Of the
Mall as prepared by BEnfant under the immediate
oversight Of Washington and jefferson. by opening
a vista from the Capitol % the Washington Mou1l-
meut- While a few trees must be removed in the
course Of this improvement. taking the entire city
over, thousand others VIII be planted for one re-
moved.
Then there Is the Washington elm, which Wash
iEgcn never had anything 20 do with; the Shepherd
Howard. and Beck trees. all sacred as a cerne-
tsry. But even cemeteries must give way oeca-
sonally when they block the path q munjchal
progress. these trees. planted in the pous hope
Of preserving the memory Of some public men of
former days, should not be allowed 70 interfere with
the scientific and artistic development CT the na-
tons Capital City.
The LuhhLh .hnut thesa tres has r1ached The