Evening star., 1916-12-24

him to recommend the appointment OF
Col Harts to his present position. for.
going to get the kind Of service he
desired"
Gen. Crozier. in speaking of the civil
outies performed by engineer officers
OF the army for Washington. said that
teaches them. 1t gives them an op-
portunity to study. it broadens them,
1t helps them in their profession
In introducing Mr.. Mcfarland as the
speaker for the citizens of Washington.
Col. Parker said: "washingtonians owe
MIR. Macfarland, Theodore w. Noyes and
A >. Worthington greater debt of
gratitude than any other men for the
satisfactory manner in which the half
and-ha1f taxation controversy has been
arranged"
Honor Service to Washington.
Mr.. Macfarland said:
I'VE honor tonight service to Wash
ington. The National Capital is worthy
Of all that Is done for it by the public
officer and by the private citizen. 1t is
the city Of the nation. the symbol OF
it's greatness. the pride of its people.
Every intelligent American here and
elsewhere rejoices in it's progress and
wants to see it become in all respects
the best capital in the world.
True Washingtonians have even
more than the common interest of all
patriotic Americans in the National
Capital-just because they live here,
just because they contribute per capita
many times more in money besides per-
sonal efforts than their fellow country
men. For three-quarters of a century
they carried the main part of the bur-
cen of developing the common capital,
and since 1873 they have done more
than their share in the common task.
Always. they have made their contri-
buttons gladly. The best of them have
given service to the point of sacrifice.
They have their reward in the won-
derful progress of what is now in many
respects the most beautiful capital, and
the prospect that the progress is to
continue until 1t is in all respects as
nearly perfect as any city can be.
such an active part. they are even
more grateful than their fellow coun-
trymen to all who have officially la
bored in the common cause. They
are grateful to Presidents of the United
States, beginning with George Wash
ington, the founder of the capital: to
senators and representatives in Con-
gress, the supreme authority, who have
unselfsh1y worked for the progress Of
the capital; to the successive executives
of the District of Columbia, including
both the Washingtonians and the army
engineers; and. last but not least, to
the army engineers also, who, whether
in the War Department or in the office
of public buildings and grounds. have
played such an important part in max
ing the capital what 1t is.
I'VE rejoice in the opportunity to say
to Col. Harts tonight that we are
grateful to him for all he has done,
and for what he proposes to do. No
one in his position has done more. His
work is typical of that of the best of
js ph
for the beauty of the city, but for its
health and recreation. and has been
particularly fortunate in enlisting the
interest of Congress in his projects. We
enthusiasm. his skill and his success,
and the promise Of even greater
achievement"
Col. Harts' Response.
When Col. Harts responded to the
toast that was drunk to him he said
he was deeply touched that such a dis
tinguished body Of citizens of Wash
ington should so honor him.
I'm thanking you," he said. "let it be
understood that I do so in behalf of
three very important groups. The first
of these is Congress. without whose
help we could achieve but little. /
want to say to you that 1 know that
Congress is intensely interested in the
development of this capital and l be-
lieve will always help us whenever it
can. The second group is the commits
ans of the Mcmillan plan for the de-
velopment of the capital. This Or
ganization is constantly preventing US
from going on the rocks and from
making blunders. The third group is
that of the men in my own office. who
Iafo 1c II o1J,6a RI
"All of US must join together-the
citizens of Washington with these
three groups-to bring Washington
more nearly to it's manifest destiny
the most beautiful city in the world"
Mr.. Davis extolled Col. Harts for
sense, and he and other speakers
thanked Col. Harts for an exhibition
of lantern slides and a lecture which
Col. Harts delivered before the dinner
collection. regarded by experts as the
best collection of views of the National
Capital, past, present and to come, ever
gathered.
Plans for Potomac Park.
Col. Harts reminded his hearers that
the Potomac flats constituted for many
years the most offensive nuisance In
that section of the city. He outlined
what Is to be done in the way of
making Potomac Park a great public
playground. Views Of the Lincoln
Memorial were shown. and Col. Harts
said:
"A basin of water between 18th street
and the Lincoln Memorial is to be a re-
ffecting basin. as an essential part of
the treatment of the memorial, and
this will add much to its beauty. A
definite plan for the treatment of this
whole area has been lately secured and
adopted, and in the development of
each detail, even as to the kind of trees
and material to be used, the grades,
etc. the commission of fine arts has
been consulted and has given the most
earnest study, SO that the United States
may rest assured that in the final com
pletion of the Lincoln Memorial a work
of art Of great beauty, with proper
landscape treatment in the approaches
and surroundings, is achieved"
Will Use Water More.
Col. Hart told Of many other plans
for the Identification of Washington.
He said it will be more and more the
idea of the engineers to use water, in
pools. basins. fountains and in other
ways as part Of the Identification of
the city. He spoke Of the connecting
parkway which is to be built between
Potomac Park and Rock Creek Park
..l parlf olan,r la -