The Appeal., 1909-04-24
S2.4O PER YEAR.
WORTHY OF NATION
CAPITAL SOON TO BE FINEST
i. CITY IN THE WORLD.
MoventeHs on Foot to Enlarge and
9eautify Washington Already
Arc in Evidence-New Depot
Mark of Progress.

Though not entirely completed, the
heW Union station in Washington is
such vast improvement over the
previous railroad terminal equipment
OF the capital that the inaugural Wis
ltors who have made trips there on
other occasions must have been Deep
ly impressed. They came through a
gateway of great artistic attractive
ness. They found themselves landed
in station which possesses every
possible convenience for the comfort
OF the traveller. Everything is on a
generous scale. A crowd of 10000 peo-
pie can be handled with less friction
now than was occasioned four years
ago IN the arrival Of a thousand. Ten
trains can discharge their loads stimuli
taneously without causing more than
ne1ghborly touching Of elbows,
whereas in the old days two trainloads
pouring into one of the stations at
the same time would block every pas
sage and cause infinite confusion.
This change is the token Of the new
washington, the national capital as
u Is soon to be, in all It's equipment.
FOR the day is now at hand when the
people OF this country are demanding
mat their national center be made a
credit to the republic. The federal
legislators have felt the quickening
impulse of this sentiment and stand
ready now in more generous measure
than ever before to proceed with the
evolution of the ideal capital upon
broad lines. The program is moving
forward appreciably, though perhaps
at times the eager citizens may be
Impatient at the sloWness of congress
sional action.
Just outside Of the station the new
conner sees a wide expanse of territory
nanked by the capitol and the senate
office building. 1t is now an unlovely
stretch in some respects, raw and
rough along the outer edges, and OBJ
vfously in a transition state. A screen
of evergreen trees has been put in po-
sit1on around the outer curves of the
street car lines, barely hiding the un-
even spaces where the work of filling
has not been finished. There is an
ugly huddle Of half-buried buildings
left in their awkward plight by the
change of grade, perhaps eventually to
be taken into the plaza area or, fail
Ing that, to be replaced by attractive
business buildings. The government
ntemplates-how leisurely the pro-
ceedings will be is not to be predicted
the acquisition Of the as yet unta-
ken land lying directly between the
station and the Capitol park. It has
Deen proposed to place somewhere on
that space noble memorial to Abra-
ham Lincoln, where, as an earnest ad-
Vocate OF the plan declares, it can be
seen and appreciated by the American
people "every time the train comes in"
This now untrimmed, undecorated
station plaza will some day be one of
the MOST famous places in the United
States. Tardily but effectively the
truth has been appreciated at the cap
ltol that this city of WASHINGTON
stands before the world as the seat
Of a great government, a world lead.
er; that it is the center of American
tnought, an ever increasing power for
the uplift Of humanity. The obliga-
ton resting upon congress to make
this city attractive in it's garb, to give
1t no less than the best in all details
OF official Quitting and to place it on
the highest possible plane of municipal
efficiency is tmpressing itself annually
more deeply upon the legislators, and
this artistically attractive, practically
useful terminal, a model of convent
ence and credit to the public spirit
OF the railway corporations, is one of
the results.
When another Inauguration day ar
rtves Washington expects to welcome
its host of friends with the plaza CON-
plete in all respects, so that the incom-
Ing visitor will step forth to behold a
scene that cannot be equaled in any
other city in the world.