Evening star., 1916-08-17

| Editorial Correspondence Of The Star.
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.
According to the Johnsoninn doctrine
! UVD upon the nation. outside Of WASH
inston, only an infnftesimal obligation
concerning the National Capital rests.
and 1t ha. met this obligation literally
and nobly.
Natien's Capital Obligation Is Pri-
| mary and Dominating.
The nations obligation to the cap
ital. the nations city, is not infnitesi-
NAL. but substantial, dominating. pri-
mary. That Of the residents of the
seat of government is only subordinate
and incidental.
| The one notable act of the nation in
meeting with wise lIberalIty this great
obligation was in the enactment of the
I organic net of 1SSS-with the half-and-
half provision and some of our ma
tfonal Legislators now propose tie repu-
| diatiOn of this wise and beneficent law.
The Johnsonian theory is that the
United States is under no obligation to
| maintain or build up the National Capt.
| tai: that while it should do nothing in
this direction it has already done near
| ly everything that has been accom-
| plished, and that the time has come
when it should cease altogether its in
terest and participation in such up
| building and leave the burden upon
| the residents of the District, who
ought alone to bear 1t.
The doctrine of the joint congress
| sional committee concerning the rela-
tion of nation to capital negatives the
Johnsonian theory at every point, and
| in every detail.
Running through the report is the
suggestion that the half-and-half re-
striction should be removed in order
that the national expenditure upon
the nations city may be largely in
creased. and not, as demanded by Mr..
Johnson, be radically decreased or
! entirely eliminated. And Senator
Works takes this position unequivo-
| cally, pointing out in specific detail
upbuilding and urging the more lib
eral appropriations of national money
needed to meet them.
The committees words on this point
are as follows:
"All of this means that the national
city. the nations home. should be
district where the national authority
Is not only supreme. but district
should insist upon its maintenance in
a manner most fitting to the dignity of
the citizens whose manifestation of
central government it is.
"As a conclusion, which should be of
the greatest weight. we urge upon
Congress that its appropriations for
the expenses of the District of Column
bia should always be in such sum as
will not only continue the city OF
Washington and the District of Co
lumbia in every respect as the splen-
did and beautiful central residence of
this great nation, but also cause it to
become and be forever maintained as a
model for all the cities of the world.
the rate of taxation in the District
should he hxed and certain; that the
Congress should pursue q definite pol
icy Of regular and liberal appropria-
lions, having in view not only the per-
manent moral and physical advance
| ment Of the city. but also it's pre-emi-
nent beauty and grandeur as the
municipal expression of the nations
home and it's peoples PRIDE"
In the argument for Washington be-
fore the joint committee the equitable
obligation of nation toward capital
was carefully considered as illustrated
in the great capitals Of the world. and
how this obligation was met by differ
ent nations was discussed in detail.
(See pages 299-317. Report of Hear
ings)
The expenditure of national money
for the development of the National
Capital is recognized as a proper ma
tional outlay everywhere in the world.
There has been controversy over the
propriety of many forms of national
appropriations, as. for instance. those
for internal improvements, roads,
canals. etc. but no one has ever con-
tended that the capital of a nation is
not proper object of the nations fos-
tering care.
Nations Capital Obligation Is Ex-
In the case of Washington there was
found to exist a peculiar national
obligation in equity toward the CAPT
| tai, double obligation, extraordinarily
| heavy under each head: % That aris-
| ing from the circumstances of the
! creation of the capital. and 90 that
| which is coupled with and measured
| by the nations absolute control of the
| nations city. The nations obligation
| TO Washington under the first head is
not duplicated in the case of any other
| of the worlds capitals included In this
| discussion, except Canberra, the capi-
| tal-that is -eo-be of Australia, which
| other capitals (Mexico. Paris. Rio,
| Buenos Aires. Athens, Romeo
| tional obligation of the second kind is
recognized, measured by the degree of
| zach case by the nation. This equita-
| ble obligation is substantial in the
case of Mexico and of Paris and much
siiehter in the case of Rio. Buenos
| Aires. Athens and Rome. But even
| Mexico and Paris fall far behind
| Washington in the height and breadth
| of this obligation.
rhe true basis Of this natfoh'a obli-
uation of prOpOrtiOnate contribution
| reward the maintenance and develop
| went of the capital In not solely or
| rrtr,.rtly untaxed Ownership of Dis
| trict real estate. though n substantial
I'D continuous ObligntiO does arise
| I'm connection with such ownership.
| rhe strongest obligations resting upon
| the nation nre equitable In their ma
| ture and based primarily ON the cir
| .uostnnces Of the capitals creation,
and the treatment of the capital by the
n.t,on ever since the birth Of the ma
Nv this special obligation I mean an
| obIieation over and above that which
ia imposed solely by the fact that a
city is capital.
| The general government, by the fact
ar uIanning a magnificent capital. COW
| cring q large area and characterized by
i broad streets. avenues and reservations
] to nm extent unsuitable for n self-sup-