The Colorado statesman., 1912-03-09


plan of L'Enfant had been carried
would now be owned and controlled
absolutely and entirely by the govern
ment of the United States, with public
buildings designed and erected in &C
cordance with a systematic plan, max
ing consistent and beautiful whole.
l hope that congress will not be mig
gardly in the matter of condemning
and acquiring for the United States
the properties on the south side of the
avenue and placing them and the
Mall In a condition so that improve
ments may be made from time to
time as have been recommended and
as were laid down and marked out by
L'Enfant in his original design.
Il do not believe that it was the
commercial spirit of the times that
msrred the plan of L'Enfant for the
laying out of the capital. Washington
was not looked upon as the site of a
great commercial city, and never has
been looked upon as such. It's growth,
which has been phenomenal In recent
years, could not have been foreseen
or prophesled by the wisest statesmen
in the days gone by. believe that
changes in this plan have been due to
the fact that people OF the city and
of the whole country could not ap-
preciate the Importance of the neces-
sity of beautifying the capital and
making 1t what the capitals of the
South American republics are, attrac.
tive in every sense of the world from
an architectural and artistic stand
point
Il want to urge as strongly as can
that the plan which has been pro-
posed by the Mcmillan park commits
sion be carried out in one most i'm
portant particular, and there ought to
be constructed on the area westerly
from Washington monument and In
line with 1t opposite to the national
capitol, on the Potomac. memorial
to Abraham Lincoln.
"A memorial to Lincoln ought to be
erected here in Washington. where pill
grimages are constantly and in in
creasing numbers being made by the
patriotic men, women and children
of the whole country. A memorial to
him should be permanent, imposing,
different in design, purpose and in
tent from any other that adorns the
city, and 1t should be so located as
to be easily accessible to all our coun-
trymen who have learned to revere
his memory and to love him for the
tenderness of his heart as well as for
the great sarvices he rendered his
country In its darkest hour of trial
Some one has recently stated in
communication in one of the evening
papers here that the United States
is better at republic building than the
South American republics, but he
found out from actual observation and
from being on the ground that they
excel us in city and capital building,
citing as particular instances of the
magnificance of the South American
capitals those at Rio Janeiro and
Buenos Aires. If congress does what
these republics have done and will
appropriate a sufficient sum to acquire
title to all properties on the south side
of Pennsylvania avenue and else
where necessary to carry out the de-
sign of the commission. tear down the
old buildings thereon and proceed as
necessities require the construction of
public and other structures upon
consistent and artistic plan, the time
is not far distant when we will prove
to the world that we can when we try
to do so, with our wealth, with our
ability and with our distinguished
architects, excel In capital building as
well as in republic building"