The Republican., 1918-10-17
Changed Washington
By Frederick J. Haskin

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Oct. 2-The
capital of the United States is in pro-
cess of a profound and complete change.
1t is not merely the superficial trans
formation so potent to every observer
the overfood of population, the short
age of street car space, the mushroom
growth OF small restaurants and grocery
stores-but real change from within.
and is part of the change which is TAX
ing place at the core of American life.
In one way or another the Impression
has gotten abroad that the two really
cosmopolitan cities of the United States
are New York and Washington-Ne
York because 1t is the Goshen for al
most all the rest of the country and a
Caanan for the distressed and adven-
turous Of almost all other countries;
Washington-well, Washington because
it is "the seat of Federal government,
the residence of the President, the sec
rotary Of state and foreign ENJOYS"
As a matter of fact Washington
never was much Of city for its size.
New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago
and even Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and
Cincinnati might have laid claim to
more cosmopolitan distinction that the
capital. In way Washington was
metropolitan; but it was also provincial.
Washington was never, of itself, pro-
gressive or staid, fast or slow In these
things it followed the spirit of the ma
tion, and if sometimes it also followed
the spirit of the world it was only be-
cause the nation followed. Washing
ton lends itself as readily, almost, to a
change in party domination as to a
change in departmental regulations.
Old faces disappear; are missed awhile
and forgotten; new faces come, are re-
marked awhile and accepted.
Yet Washington, for all its change
ableness, was never without a charac-
ter of its own. Tradition is the strong
est factor in the personifcation of
cities, and Washington has plenty of
tradition. 1t lis rich in historical mem
ories-of the panic when the British
took the city, of the stormy, some
times bloody debates of abolition times,
of the tense DAYS and nights when the
soldiers of Mcclellan watched the Po-
tomac and the Rappahannock.
These memories meant much to the
Washington of few years ago. In
those days trolley cars were without
flat wheels and seldom crowded. Auto.
mobiles were fewer and we'll behaved.
Night life began at 10 minutes past 7
and ended at 1920 or thereabouts.
In those days each white newcomer
to Washington found social classifca-
tion awaiting him. He was a Con
gressiona" or he wasn't. In the latter
event he was a Departmental, a
Civil Service Person." an Embassy
Person, "Georgetowner" or a lay
man. 1t was said then that much bad
blood and vendetta existed among these
various little cliques.
The old Georgetown set"-supposed-
ly formed of the sons and daughters of
exiled first families of the Confederacy
would have nothing to do, it was said,
with any of the government crowd. F."
The Army "set" was reported at bitter
social strife with the Navy. The "Con-
gressionals" and the Cabinet" con-
tested hotly for supremacy. The laity
Representatives of typewriter corpo-
rations, lobbyists, students, press cor
respondents, and others not directly
connected with the government, strug-
gled along as best they might. Most
of this was sheer nonsense, but it form
ed background for a good deal of
harmless gossip.
The visitor emerging from the steps
of Union Station was startled by the
quietude and essential serenity of it all.
Rush and hustle was nowhere; ex-
/ citement-the excitement of Park Row