Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
MALL VISTA NOT APPROVED
Instructive Extract From a Debate
in the Senate.
OF PRESENT IMPORTANCE
Has a Bearing on the Propriety of
Putting Grants Monument in
Botanic Garden.


toned by the advocates of that site as
though they were fixed and adopted, in
spirit If not in fact. This idea is far
from the truth. The Senate's park COM
missions plans have never been adopted
by even that body, which. acting alone
and independently of the House of Repre-
sentatives. had no power whatever to
establish definite lines for any system Of
public improvements. Thus it is that
those who oppose the emplacement of the
Grant monument in the Botanic Garden.
as unsuited to such an important crea-
ton Of sculpture, have felt that there
was no virtue in the claim that the Sc
lection was in harmony with the estab-
rshed plan for the treatment of the Mall
AS far as the records show. there is no
such plan in existence, and to that ex-
tent Congress has in contemplation no
treatment of the Mall other than that
outlined in the Downing plans of many
years ago.
Apropos of this matter. it is interesting
to note that even in the Senate dispo-
sition has manifested itself occasionally
least to regard 1t as something held
merely under advisement and not as an
adopted proposition. The files of the
Congressional Record bear testimony to
this fact.
Mr.. Hale's Answer.
June %, 1902. Senator Clapp called up
in the Senate a joint resolution authoriz-
ing the removal from the Library of Con-
gress of the plans of the park commits
sion for the purpose of exhibition at ST
Paul. Mimi, under the auspices of the
American League Of Civic Improvement
In the course of the debate on Mr.. Clapp's
motion, which was finally carried, the fol-
lowing colloquy occurred:
to inquire whether this plan for the i'm
provement of the city has ever been ac-
copied by Congress.
Mr.. Hale-I will answer the senator, If
he will allow me.
Mr.. Teller-Very well. / yield to HE
senator from Maine.
Mr. Hale-I desire to protest against an
inference that may be drawn from what
the senator from Minnesota has said
that here Is plan already embarked
upon for an immense Improvement. a
park system and other expensive features
in the District of Columbia. Nothing of
that kind has been adopted or entered
upon. The senator says the people of the
United States Ought to be educated as to
what we are doing. We are doing moth
ing whatever about this great scheme
with reference to Washington. The whole
matter fell absolutely dead the moment
examine it. No committee has sought to
urge it upon Congress. 1t is purely in the
brain of the architect who has designed
an immense scheme of Improvement that
suits him.
Mr.. Gallinger-Will the senator permit
me?
Mr.. Hale-Certainly.
Adoption Never Suggested.
Mr.. Gallinger-The senator. of course.
,of pf To do INF, OF IN ho
mittee on the District of Columbia.
wish to say to the senator that the COM
mittee never had any idea that Congress
would adopt this plan. 1t never sug
gested that Congress should adopt this
plan.
Mr.. Hale-I so understand
Mr.. Gallinger-The plan was formulated
by very distinguished commission with
the idea that it might serve as sugges-
tions for the District of Columbia. and
that was the sole purpose.
Mr.. Hale-I so understand it. and in
what I said I embraced not only the
committee on the District of Columbia as
not having sought to force the plan mat
tiers upon Congress, but no other COM
mittee. That committee has been ex
tremely wise about 1t. 1t called halt
when it saw the magnificence of the
scheme. 1t is scheme which, as l have
said would never have been evoked from
any source but the brain of the architect.
Mr. Gallinger-If the senator will permit
me single word. the senator says the
committee called a halt. The committee
fectly understood that Congress could not
adopt a plan of this kind.
Mr.. Hale-But I understand the COM
mittee was asked and declined. That is
what / mean by the use of my metaphor
that the committee called halt. The
committee did.
Merely Suggestive Plan.
Mr.. Gallinger-I think the committee
never was asked to do it, Mr.. President
OF course, these distinguished architects
would like to have their plan followed in
the matter of future appropriations, but
they did not suggest to the committee,
certainly at no meeting when 1 was pres
ent, that we should recommend it to Con-
gress. 1t was merely suggestive plan.
Mr.. Hale| want that understood
When this exploiting scheme. when this
large assortment of drafts and plans of a
scheme Is started on Its tour around the
country as a matter of exhibition. and
people are asked to come and pay so
much to see it. l do not want it to be
understood by them nor to have the press
anywhere assume that II is, to use the
language of the senator from Minnesota
what we are doing, because we have done
nothing OF the kind.
Mr.. Gallinger-I think that is wise.
Too Expansive.
Mr.. Hale-I am very much in favor of
almost everything that comes up for the
improvement OF this most important and
most delightful national city. but 1 am
not in favor Of this scheme, which would
cost in the end no man can tell what
amount-some hundreds of millions of
dollars. I believe that Congress can be
left to do it's own work in that regard
from year to year. There will be no year
pass. Mr.. President. that some scheme
for the improvement and beautifying of
this city will not be taken up and passed
1t will not be done all at once. 1t will
not be done at the command or even at
the. suggestion of any architect who
wants to embrace the whole thing in one
plan.
Lam in favor from year to year. of the
erection of great buildings. the improve
ment of the roadways. the opening of
make this city what II will be in thirty
years rom now-the finest winter resi-
dence in all the world; but l protest
against anything that we do here today
being considered here or elsewhere as
committing the Congress to this vague
vast and extraordinary scheme.
The senator from Connecticut (Mr
PIatD suggests to ME that the object is
TO stir up sentiment throughout the coun-
try in favor of the scheme. If that is the
purpose, then Mr.. President, / object
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