The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-05-08
TAFT GIVES VIEWS
Of FUTURE CAPITAL
FO9KER PRESIDENT OUTLINES
PAST HISTORY OF WASH
INGTON.


dent Taft gives a new view of the Ma
tons Capital, its history, its present
situation and the hopes for its future
Accompanied by the quadri-color
drawings of the Fine Arts Commits
sion this represents what is univer-
sally conceded here to be the most
remarkable portrayal of nations
| capital ever prepared. In the course
of his paper the Ex-President says:
Il have been deeply interested in
the development of Washington ever
since as solicitor general l looked out
| of the windows of the clerks office
of the Supreme Court, at the Capitol,
| and stood awestruck by the beauty
of that sweep from the Capitol down
to the Monument, thence to the shin
| ing bosom of the Potomac beyond,
| and across to the Arlington hills.
That is now a quarter of century
ago, and my love for Washington and
nv interest in securing from Con-
gress the needed legislation and ap-
preparations to bring out its incom-
parable beauties have never abated.
After commenting upon the great
natural beauty of the site selected by
George Washington for a building OF
the nations home of government Mr.,
Taft speaks earnestly Of the respon-
sibilities of the present generation to
their First City:
/ IF General Washington, at time
when his country was a little, nem-
med-in nation, Boosting but a single
seaboard, with a population Of only
five million, and with credit so bad
that lot sales, lotteries, and borrow
ing upon personal credit had to be
resorted to in order to finance the
new capital, could look to the future
and understand that it was his duty
| to build for the centuries to come
and for a great nation, how much
| more should we do now?
In those days there were men a.
plenty in Congress and out who bit
terly opposed provisions for the fu-
| ture of the Capital City. To them the
old doctrine of letting each genera
| ton provide for it's own needs out
weighed every other consideration;
but a grateful nation rejoices today
| that the wisdom of the Father of his
country prevailed, and that the Ma
tional Capital was built for us as well
as for the people of his generation.
| Grateful to Washington.
IF we are grateful that Washing
ton made provision for the century
ahead of him, how much the more
should be be careful to provide fol
the century ahead of us!!"
eff the growth of this country con
tlnues for another hundred years at
a rate at all commensurate with that
maintained in the generation just
past. the America of 2015 must have a
capital suited to the needs of 26O mil
lion people. Thanks to the foresight
OF the founder of the city, all OF the
elements of a great and magnihcen'
National Capital have been provided
for in the original ground plan; and
according to Mr.. Taft, the greatest
danger that Washington faces is that
men may come at some time into con
troll of the city's destiny who are no
fitted TO appreciate or understand al
that it's capital must mean to the ma
ton. that little Americans" may
work irreparable damage in mistaken
economies. and in mistaken concep
tons of the city's nature.
The National Capital, by virtue OF
being the capital, is different from al
the other cities of the country, Mr.
Taft points out Thus, it is not an
Industrial city, not commercial city
not a city existing for or belonging
to its citizens, but one serving ever!
citizen of the United States and be
longing alike to each. While the Uni
ed States government pays half G
, the expense of the Capital City, Nj
Taft continues, it must be kept L
mind that the city is in no sense SUI
; ported for the benefit of the peopl
dwelling within its confines; and, i
, spite of the half burden assumed b
the General Government, the remain
ing half is greater than most cities c
, Washington's class impose upon thei
: people. There are two reasons fc
this The first is that no other cit
. of its class has so many unusual e,
penses to meet, such large stree
areas to maintain, such heavy fl
i and police protection expenses
4 bear, etc. And, then, In the wore
4 of the writer:
4 Has But One Industry.