Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19
REAL ESTATE PROMOTION
REALLY BEHIND SCHEME
Says No Other City Would Stand
Rock Creek Conditions.
A DUMPHEAP AND MENACE
Other Prominent Men Speak at Meet.
ing of Committee Of One Hun.
dred on Development of
Washington.

Washington.
Caustic criticism of members Of Com.
gress and others who favor the WASH
lhSton 10 Gettysburg roadway proiect
as memorial TO Abraham Lincoln WAS
contained I'm a speech delivered last
night by Senator Elihu Root before
the committee of one hundred on the
future development Of Washington.
Senator Root did not mince words.
He characterized the roadway plan as
being design to steal the name of
Lincoln for the purpose of promoting
real estate interests
In the course of his address he called
attention to the condition of the lower
part of Rock Creek valley-a condition he
asserted. which is unsightly and insani-
tary, and a disgrace to the city.
No Other City Would Stand It.
There is TO other city in the United
States that would not turn out a munic-
ipal government that would allow such q
condition to remain he declared.
Suggestions by Senator Root. Repre-
sentative James l.. Slayden OF Texas.
chairman of the library committee OF the
House. and others who spoke to the ef-
feet that the committee members should
adopt the Lincoln memorial commission
plan for locating the memorial on the
Mall probably will be followed by imme-
date inauguration of campaign Of that
cha racter.
The House OF Representatives, il was
stated. is to take up the question OF
adopting or rejecting the commissions
plan Wednesday OF this week.
Doubt Plan Will Be Accepted.
Representative Slayden informed the
committee that there is grave doubt of
the plan being accepted. The members
were urged to bring every pressure to
bear upon representatives I'm the lower
house OF Congress during the next three
days In the interest Of obtaining favor
able action on the memorial commissions o
recommendation.
The meeting, which was held at the
residence of Arthur jeffrey Parsons, 1904
18th street northwest, was presided over
by Glenn Brown, chairman of the COM
mittee. Senator Root, introduced as the
first speaker. reviewed the history Of the
effort to have Washington developed In
accordance with the LII 'Enfant plan.
He paid a tribute to the ability of the
men composing the Lincoln memorial
commission, declaring that none better
qualified than they for performing the
work assigned TO the commission could
have been found.
Opposition developed to the locating of
the Agricultural Department building the
New National Museum and other govern
ment structures on the sites now occu-
pied by them, he pointed out, but for.
tunately. he said. these buildings We're
placed in conformity with the plan laid
down for the development of Washington.
Would Be Serious Departure.
To locate the Lincoln memorial on a
site other than that selected by the COM
mission would mean a serious departure
from this plan, the speaker asserted.
Senator Root said that the nations de-
vOtion to the memory OF Lincoln seems
to have been too weak to overcome the
little differences Of opinion as to what
character Of memorial to the martyred
President should be provided and where
II should be located.
IF there is ever to be memorial to
Lincoln" he said, there must be an end
to the controversy between different
tastes"
The speaker then referred to the pro-
posal for a Washington-to-Gettysb
memorial roadway. A cabal is at work.
he declared. to defeat the locating of the
memorial on the Mall and to boost real
estate by building a roadway to Gettys-
burg which would be lined with road.
houses and be used by Joy riders"
He urged the members Of the COM
mittee to employ every legitimate
means at their disposal to prevent this
attempted desecration OF the name oe
Lincoln.
A Dump Heap and Menace.
Senator Root declared that something
will have to be done to improve the
condition Of the lower part OF Rock
Creek valley He said that he had
spent two days investigating this por-
tion of the valley, and that it is a dump
heap, constituting a menace to tho
health Of the city.
The prospect of the adoption by tile
House of Representatives of the Linz
coin memorial commission plan was dis.
cussed by Representative Slayden. who
stated that it is extremely doubtful if
enough votes will be obtained to make
possible the selection Of the Mall site.
The fight i'm the House. Representative
Slayden said, is over the question OF
whether the appropriation authorized
for the Lincoln memorial is intended as
an entering wedge for the construction
of highways with funds appropriated
from the federal treasury.
He pointed out that many members
doubtless would favor the roadway plan
Il they believed the project would serve
as an entering wedge to the obtaining OF
for the construction oc
federal roads within their own states.
Need a Practical Fight.
The speaker asserted that the COMMITTEES
members. il they desire the selection OF
the Mall site. should engage in a practical
political fight from now until the time
The commission plan is taken up by the
House for consideration.
Others who spoke were A. s. worthing.
ton. the Rev. Wallace Radcliffe. John
Hays Hammond and Richard B. Wat
rous. Mr.. Worthington suggested that d
could be provided either by Cons
,ress condemning the necessary land for
the purpose OF a post road or by Mary.
and and Pennsylvania, through which
states the proposed highway is to extend,
,eding enough land for the carrying oua
II the project.
He said that he did not see how any
,ne could favor the construction OF &
post road as q memorial to Lincoln
And IL the state Of Maryland were to
,ede enough land for the building ~