New-York tribune., 1918-02-21
Rousing Washington Out of Long Sleep
BY Ralph Bloch

@ARTHAGE was a great capital. so they
I say, but it had nothing on Washing
tom There was Tyre, too, TO say
nothing Of Babylon, Alexandria, Athens anc
Rome. They all took their turn at running
the world, and they did it with good deal oi
swagger, with purple and gold around the
edges. Washington may be little thin yet
on the purple and gold, but it has lots OF
swagger.
It is true that a part Of Washington, the
part that has permanently resided in the Dis
tr;ct of Columbia for decades, still has to re-
alize adequately what has happened. 1t is
even possible that destiny has taken UP his
abode here, and some parts Of Washington
out Of hcavy-lidded eyes not yet cleared of
the maze Of a long sleep, mistake destiny tor
the Democratic Administration. But even
that mistake can't persist for long against the
binding light Of Washingtons new splendor
If you come to Washington during the wal
and there are ninety-nine chances that you
will if you live anywhere between the Atlantic
and the Pacific oceans-don't allow yourself
any disappointment D'Estournelles de Con-
stant Frenchman with admirable t9stc, said
d few years ago that Washington had become
a magnificent city. And after Paris, that's no
mean praise. Even if you conclude that 81
Trcnchmans natural courtesy invites grain
Of salt. you will be forced to admit Just the
same that Washington, like mon who are in
the process Of becoming great, does have its
moments. The present is one Of them.
Old Washingtonans Bewildercd
People who have developed the habit OF liv-
ing in Washington all The year around are at
present little beN'idered. One day they are
the dependent auxiliary Of government ma
chine ard the next they find, like Lord BYRON
they have become famous overnight. 1t is
very troubling, especially if you are naturally
of placid disposition. Neutrality-suspicious. had
rather got in the habit of mind of looking
cn the government as their own little local
affair Their bobtailed streetcars were a
source Of pleasure TO them They liked the
ambling motion. Suddenly they found lot
Of strangers focking in. just as if they, too.
mad an ownership in the governments im-
portant looking strangers, VINO sworc al the
ambling strectcars; energetic folk who walked
fast, talked fast, bought fast and kicked over
all the traditions that the simple Washng-
tonians had been setting UP.
True. they didn't entirely scatter a trail Of
regrets behind them. They drove their char
lots in cloud of dust, and it was dust with
golden sunglcums in it, They raised the
standard Of living SO high in Washington that
right now it takes a telescope even for visitors
to find the peak Of it.
The result of all this is multiplication Of
contrasts that arc as stimulating they arc
amazing. Imagine Frankfort. Ky, suddenly
crowned with the regalitics of great inter
national capital, and you get an idea Of Wash
ngton.
A cores pondent for a London daily arrived
in the United States not long ago to establish
an American bureau. He went TO New York
and discovered little by little, that every time
he tried to find any one who counted he had to
run down to Washington. After a while he
took look around Washington and tried TO
figure it out. Being handicapped by an Old
World imagination. he had a little trouble re-
alizing that under this troubled Southern city
colnred here and there with the fever of lew
significance, was probably the most important