Evening star., 1909-05-15
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS
ON POTOMAC DRIVEWAY
Parade of Decorated Equipages Plan.
ned on Magnificent Scale.
FIRST TO BE HELD THIS YEAR
Designed to Eclipse in Extent and
Beauty the Famous Shows of
Nice and Los Angeles-Some
Opinions Expressed.


Philander Johnson. who did
"Unce1 Eben," does the theaters
and shoots the stars, proposed
this thing.
So much for history. r. NAf
The thing is this:
"Why should not Washington
have floral festival as an annual
event?"
There is no reason, and the
asking of the question means that
Washington WILL have floral
festival this year, and each year
till time shall be no more.
From about the middle Of May
for month and a half Washing
ton becomes the most beautiful,
the most attractive and altogether
the most enhancing, not to speak
of enticing, and leaving out en-
tirely most seductive, place on
the face of Gods green earth.
.
Flowers are blooming every
where around here. during that
fairy period, and, touched by the,
fairy wand, every breeze whispers
seductively and truly of budding
trees bursting into leaf, of Poto-
mac reaches sparkling under \
new sun, Of a new verdure cover
ing the earth better and more
beautiful than ever before. The
flowers are in all our gardens, and
if we are SO lost to the past and
welded to the future as to live III
flats they are cheap.
Begun by Mrs. Taft.
Mrs. Taft has signalized the
first year of the genial smile ad-
ministration by making the Poto-
mac Park an afternoon meeting
place for you and the one fellow
who rides and drives, and me and
the other fellow who walks and
looks. When Mrs. Taft estab-
lished this driveway or walkway,
we can't recall the Spanish name
we should call it. and it doesn't
matter. as we will have to find an
American name for it, anyway,
and The Star will give cup prop
cry inscribed to the person send
ing the most appropriate name
for this especial part of the Poto-
mac Park. she did very gracious
thing for the city OF Washington.
Let us then do something our
selves and add to this new and
beautiful feature of Washington
life by inaugurating and continu-
ing on it an annual floral festival,
with all the flowers, and all the
carriages, and all the automobiles,
and all the pretty women THAI
necessarily go with it.
This is about all The Star has
to offer about it today. Here,
however. is what some other peo-
pie have to say:
Mr.. Macfarland Enthusiastic.
Commissioner Macfarland was enthusi-
astic when he learned of the project for
holding flower festival on Potomac Park
every spring.
Il heartily approve the idea Of the flower
festival he said. "It would add to the
attractions of Washington and give great
pleasure to thousands of people. Else
where such festivals have been very sue
cessful. and under proper management
would be equally successful here"
Engineer Commissioner William v. Jud-
son would not let his colleague be louder
in his praise of the National capital
flower festival plan than himself
''The project for an annual flower festi-
val is an excellent one," declared Maj.
Judson. AT this time. when people all
over the country are looking toward
Washington as residence city and
place of many attractions. | think any
idea of increasing the attractiveness
of the capital and thus drawing more
home-builders TO il should be carried out:
and this seems to be eminently such an
idea. 1t will increase the nationwide in
terest IL the Capital city and benefit it by
attracting here not only visitors, but per-
maner.. ECme-builders who are looking for
clean ty in which to live"
No Time Like the Present.
The president of the Chamber of Com
merce, William F. GUIDE. is intensely in
terested in any plan that would beautify
Washington, or add to the attraction OF
living here. consequently he is enthu-
siastic over the proposition to hold q
floral carnival here.
There is no time like the present to
hold one. either" he said yesterday.
From now until the middle of June
there will always be profusion Of some
kind of flower. and 1t would be an easy
matter to arrange for parade OF traps,
carriages and floats. every one carrying
profusion of flowers. In other cities
| have seen the most gorgeous floats
imaginable in professions of this kind.
In Washington il would be possible to
hau. aaats ranrasenting the differepe