Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-09
Presidents Wife Is Guest OF
the Chamber of Commerce
at Raleigh Hotel.
HUGE PARK SURROUNDING
NATIONAL CAPITAL URGED
w. M. Ellicott Illustrates Talk With
Colored Slides-Cost Is Esti-
mated at $2,600,Oo0.

Mrs. Woodrow Wilson attended meet
ing of the Washington Chamber of Com
merce at the Raleigh Hotel last night. on
the invitation of Glenn Brown, chairman
of the committee of one hundred on the
| future development of Washington, and
was entertained by an illustrated lecture
on proposed forest reserve between this
city and Baltimore, delivered by Will
liam NJ. Ellicott, an architect of Balti-
more.
Mrs. Wilson arrived at the meeting a
few minutes after the close of the regu-
| lar business session. With her were
Miss Helen Woodrow Bones Mrs Z. w.
Roberts, wife of the representative from
| Massachusetts: Mrs. Charles, Richardson,
Mrs. James Dudley Morgan and Mrs.
Hennin Jennings of Washington. Mr.
B. Howard Hannah Mr.. and Mrs Doug
las Robinson and Edwin Turnbul of
Baltimore, and Mrs. William r. Ayltt.
Noisy Welcome Avoided.
1t was not definitely known that Mrs.
Wilson would attend the meeting until
late yesterday afternoon, and many of
the members present did not know the
chamber was to be graced with the pres
ence of the first lady of the land until
President Callahan made the announce
ment He requested the members not to
make their applause too loud at the
entrance of Mrs. Wilson, but of "a JEFF
fersonian simplicity"
AS soon as Mrs Wilson and those who
accompanied her We're seated President
Callahan called Mr. Brown to the chair.
Mr.. Brown spoke of the efforts OF the
committee of which he is chairman to
! make Washington the most beautiful
city in the world, and then introduced
Mr.. Ellicott
adjacent to American cities. and then
described some of the magnificent wooded
tracts which are to be found close to
many of the principal European cities
He spoke of the wisdom of creating forest
reserves along the banks of the Potomac
and Patuxent rivers and told of bills
introduced in Congress for this purpose.
By means of many colOred stereopticon
slides he illustrated the need of forests.
and declared the disastrous floods in Ohio
would not have occurred if that section
of the country had not been entirely de-
nuded of its forests.
Potomac Counterpart of Hudson.
The Potomac river as far up as the
Great Falls said Mr.. Ellicott, has its
counterpart in the Hudson above New
York. It's shores should come under gov
eminent control in order that it's beauties
shall not be lost and that it may always
add to the luster of the capital That
the forests along it's slopes should be cut
away and factories built upon them, that
the falls themselves should be married or,
obiterated by building a dam and power
houses to produce electric power, is not
to be thought of if the true interests Of
the nation and the city are to be guard
ed. AS am satisfied that this will never
be tolerated, l shall do no more than to
say that a part of my recommendation is
that as much land as is necessary to
protect the beauties of the scenery along
the river as far as the Great Falls should
be bought by the government, and no
buildings except imposing monuments or
places of recreation be permitted upon it.
THE tract which l more particularly
wish to bring to your attention covers
approximately 100 square miles of terri
tory, and includes the whole of the
Anacostia and large part of the Pa
tuxent river watersheds, extending as
far as the Severn and South rivers to
the eastward. 1t is from so to so per
cent wooded, and of the balance only
about Is per cent has any real value for
agricultural purposes, but is typical for
est land and should be planted in forest.
vYyo,,1d p;x,al Eoro;or,, Eoroc<c