Evening star., 1914-04-11
Or. Egan Says the Government
Should Deal Generously
With Washington.
DESTINED TO PASS OTHER
CITIES IN ITS GRANDEUR
Only One in America Comparable to
Paris and Rome, Diplomat
Maintains.

| Europe. DR.. Maurice Francis Egan
lecturer, educator author and vet
eran diplomat, returned. to Washing
ton this morning convinced that the
capital of the United States Is growing
to be the most beautiful city in the
world. and emphatic that the system OF
governing or financing the National
Capital should not be changed. In fact
Minister Egan. who Is on a two-month
leave of absence from his post in Dem
mark, refuses to consider seriously the
proposition that the half-and-half sys-
tenn shall be changed.
| DR.. Egan is well known In Washington
! outside OF his official position. He was
Catholic University as professor of conn.,
parative literature, and during that time
wrote many books.
| Declined Post In Vienna.
He was offered a diplomatic post al
Athens, under the Cleveland adnlinistra-
ton, but declined 1t. He has been in Den.
mark for seven years. and was offered
the post at Vienna under the present ad-
ministration. but declined it on account
I of the expense
DR.. Egan will be occupied during his
| leave of absence in lecturing at Har-
ward University and throughout the
| south. From April 81 to May he is to
Hymns in Common Use at Harvard.
| These trace the origin of the Christian
hymn of love from the Cantic'e OF
Canticles and the hymns of fear Of God
| from the Psalms of David. The series
\ includes lectures on the hymns of Luther,
| Clement, Marot, Watts, Wesley. Faber
and Lyte. He will lecture through the
south under the auspices of the southern
| agricultural commission on the latest de-
velopments of intensive cultivation and
| cooperation in Denmark. He begins his
tour in Norfolk. Va, and ends 1t In New
| Oreleans. He also has invitations to lee
! ture in Iowa and Oklahoma.
| After having seen all Of the capitals
of Europe" said DR.. Egan, I do not
hesitate to say that I believe Washing
ton is growing to be the most beautiful
| city in the world.
Obligation a National One.
! lone must see the United States in
perspective from abroad in order to un-
derstand how necessary it is that the
beauty of this great capital should be
preserved and increased. The disad-
vantage about nearly all American
cities is that they are too local. and in a
certain sense provincial, but Washington,
owing to its position, stands apart. 1t
and vet to all.
| 1T is very fortunate that the traditions
of George Washington. its real founder,
| have been preserved in its organiza-
! tion and that according to these tradi-
| tions the government seems to feel 1t
| a sacred duty to do its best by reason
of an expenditure to make it the ideal
| capital of the world. To put 1t munich
pally and financially in the position of
| merely local cities, no matter how
great they may be. would be crime
| against the traditions of the founders
| of the republic. against the prestige of
the United States and against every
| law of esthetics.
Europeans visiting Washington de-
| clare that a present it is the one city
of the country which compares with
| Paris or Vienna"
Denmark Jubilant Over Treaty.
| DIR. Egan was persuaded to discuss the
pending treaty between the United States
and Denmark, which has been signed by
the Secretary of State and the Danish
minister and has been cordially approved
| by the Danish senate and house. but
which has been held up in the United
/ States Senate. some question having
| been raised, it is understood, that inSuiar
| possession of Denmark, adjacent to the
| United States, might be sold to some
other power.
Denmark when left" said DR.. Egan
was iubilant over the signing OF the
| treaty of arbitration which not only the
Danes but my diplomatic colleagues in
| Copenhagen consider to be the most gen.
| erous act on the part of the greatest ma
! ton in the world towards a little nation
| The Danes, too, are delighted with the
| sympathy which America has shown FOL
| their efforts to improve the condition ol
| the Danish possessions. st. Thomas anG
| Santa Cruz. so near our coast.
Well Represented in q. S.
They feel that without this sympathy
the improvements in these islands, tc
which none but Danish money was con-
tributed, would be impossible.
"One of the best friends of the United
States in Denmark is Admiral Richelieu
the colleague and adnirer in Siam Of
i John Barrett But Denmark is unusually
friendly to the United States because
there is hardly a family in the country
that has not some repres sentative among
US.
i Therefore, the Danes, who wish to re
tain the Danish West Indies, and to max
the inhabitants contented and satfsneo
are deeply grateful for the interest w
have shown. -
ing to part with these islands to US, bu
now they feel that they will be able t
make them as prosperous as the mail
country.
The rumor recently printed in thu
New York papers that Denmark hat
any intention of selling the islands Il
Germany or any other nation is en-
tirely without foundation. The Danes
would as think of selling st
Thomas to Germany, even provided Ger
many wanted to buy it, as they woult
of ceeding the three great belts Il
any other power
But since the United States has shoWr
no intention of purchasing these islands
Denmark is trying to make the popula
uon contented by pouring millions oi
money into improvements for their bene
Int.
Bill to Sell Barely Defeated.
In 1902 a measure to sell these island
was defeated in the Danish senate b.
J only one vote. and during the impeach
Inent proceedings of President johnson
the proposition to buy these islands fel
through because in the excitement OF tn
times our Congress entirely forgot it.
when the text of the proposed treat
OF arbitration was made known in Den
mark II was pronounced To be a tremen
| dous step toward practical arbitration AM
permanent peace.
Mr. Egan had no information on th
subject but said he hoped that TIL
action OF the secretary Of state and tn
: Danish minister would be corroboratet
) by the Senate.
Fright Fatal to Two Boys.