The Washington herald., 1913-12-26

step out of the comfortable rut into
which they have been placed. The good
positions, the positions that mean rank
| and title and entrance TO the hallOWC cd
places, rarely come through promotions.
| They are the gifts of fortune. gifts even
to strange folk from Cleveland or Madi-
son or Stockton. They are not the re-
ward Of faithful service at an unknowa
desk
| And so official Washington. as we
have seen here, is quite helpless The
other official Washinston-the official
Washington of the society columns-little
cares. II is not above noticing the
| twenty thousand, but it is mere notice
and nothing more. And as for interest or
graCiOusness or Kind-heartedness-they
are quite out OF the question. Washing
ton is being rebuilt, in Doth its physical
and its social structure. The architects
of its social structure are not less capa-
lie than those folk who are working ont
| marvels in steel and marble. These first
see the Washington of tomorrow, mod
eled closely after the structures OF Euro
pean capitals. Already our newly created
class of American idle rich is establish
iLG its habitat along the lovely streets
Of our handsOmest town. That t. a ne
ginning. In some of the departments
they have begun to serve tea at four of
an afternOon-just as they do on the ter
race of the House of Commons. That is
another beginning. We are starting
The structure of European capitals is
largely built upon class distinctions.
Washington is beir, builded close to its
models.
CIose 10 European Models.
For ourselves, we prefer the touch OF
Europe as the architects work them in
steel and marble. A man who has been
Within the decade will be astonished to
see the change already worked in its ap-
pearance. From the moment he steps
across the threshold of the fine new sta
tion-itself 4 revelation after the old
time railroad terminals of the town-he
will see transformation. Washington is
still in growth. They are tearing down
the ugly buildings and building upon
their sites the beautiful, weaving in the
almost gentle creations Of the modern
architects, a new city, which. after a
,ittle time, will cease to be modelled upon
Europe, but which will serve, in itself,
as a model capital for the entire world
to follow
The title of the chapter on Washing
ton in Mr.. Hungerford's book is 1.-The
American Mecca" and the author de-
clares that the slogan, Every true
American should see Washington at least
railroad agents and hotel keepers" to
Every true American should see WASH
ington once year."
Tourist Important Part.
After devoting several pages to an i'm
aginary trip around the city in sight
seeing auto, Mr.. Hungerford says:
IF We are giving much space to the
tourist view of Washington it is because
the tourist plays so important a part in
the life of the town. He is one of its
chief assets and, seriously speaking, there
is something rather pathetic in the Joy
that comes to the faces of those who step
out from the great portals of the new
station for the very first time. There is
something in their very expressions that
seems to express. long seasons of saving
and of scrimping, perhaps of downright
deprivation in order that our great Amer
lean mecca may finally be reached You
will see the same expressions upon the
faces of the humber folk who go to visit
any of the great expositions that periodi-
cally are held across the land
The Capital is declared to be an end
less source of delight to those who have
come to Washington from afar. Para
graphs devoted to 1t say.
Capital Guides Exploited.
"A little squad Of aged men. who have
a wolfish scent for tourists, act as its
own particular reception committee |
These old men, between their cards and |
the sporting extras OF the evening papers, |
condescend to act as guides to the huge
building. We shall spare You the de-