The Washington herald., 1919-05-05

professional men were unanimous in
their unqualified support last night of
the proposed plan to build forty-eight
permanent State buildings in the Ma
tional Capital. as outlined for The
Washington Herald by Frank NJ. Low
| While this plan is not new. II Is the
purpose Of those who have champion
ed 1t to arouse new interest and gain
some decisive action which will ma
terialize what may appear to be a
dream.
II the spirit of those men inter-
viewed yesterday may be taken as
| typical Of that which prevails gener-
ally in business circles throughout the
city. it Is probable this plan will goin
such universal approval that 1t will
eventually be carried out, IL not In the
| full program as now suggested. GER
tainly in some similarly effective man.
| ner.
Suggested plans for the proposed
State buildings have been drawn up
| by Mr.. Low and are herewith pre-
sentsd.
| Before turning your attention to
the plan please bear in mind that
Washington is neutral ground, made
so. because it is the seat of the ma
/ tiOh' ihal w WaShlhSlO 10 nut IN
State of the nation. but the nations
Capital is located in a District in
which every person calling the
United States their home feels and
takes a just pride because it is the
Nations Capital. That Washington
has been and always will be de-
veloped primarily to care for the
vast governmental activities upon
| which tho nf the world
war. greater demands are bound TO
be made. That the money raised.
used and spent for all the govern
ment's facilities, as steadily as they
are increased and needed. are
provided for by all the people OF
the United States. In short, outside
the civil and local ipterests. this is
not exclusively your city and my
city, As residents of Washington.
but is as the seat of all our national
activities. a district in which all the
people of the United States feel and
take Q rightful interest The mere
fact that Washington is neutral
ground through being the govern
ment seat Of the nation. makes it
free from rivalries that naturally
come UP between States and makes
it the loical center to reflect the
growth of the nation as a whole
and the peoples common territory
| to point to with pride as the art. ed
| ucational and experimental center
of the nation.
Washington was thoughtfully and
wisely selected as the nations Cap
itaI, from a geograp phical as well as
climatic standpoint, ana having en-
| loved the benefits Of the genius of
some of the greatest men and women
/ in the world along the lines Of civic
DEVELOPMENT for the past hundred
years, Is now in a position, through
the strength and vast resources of
the nation, to take her place. with the
assistance of additional effort, as the
most cultured city of modern civiliza-
ltion. not losing sight Of the fact, at
all times, that the underlying founda-
ltion of all her development must lie
along the lines of strength and sim
lnicity in order to reflect the spirit and
icharacter of her people.
The plan to be suggested will yield
all this.
The Plan.
Induce Congress to- advocate and
recommend and to invite each of the
lforty-eight States Of the Union to
erect at its own expense what would
Ibe known as a State Building" upon
Hand set aside by Congress under the
direction of the usual City Planning
Commission of the District OF Co.
llumbia.
Each State building to be sufficient
in size and magnitude to contain
a governors suite for his conven'
lience when visiting the Capital or
business. To contain large assembly
halls for every need. including meet.
ing rooms for visitors or associa.
tons or residents Of Washington
who were natives of the respective
States, and to have covered area
enough to do justice to the prope,
exploitation of an all-the-year round
exhibition of the principal industries
and natural resources and attrac-
tions Of each particular State.
| Each state would naturally take a
| lust pride in having it's building
strictly speaking. a State product
Would want the building designed
by an architect living within its own
borders. Would want all the ma
| terial that entered into the construc-
ton. as far as possible. to come from
its own State and to have its erec-
ton directed by its own local con-
tractors SO that il would stand as a
monument to that States creative
ability.
When completed. it automatically
! would he an Individual State Build
ing Art Center" in which would be
held a vast and perpetual all-the-
year-round exposition.
Beneats to washinston.
The benefits of such an "alI-the-
ycar-round exposition, housed In
such an impressive manner would
easily make Washington the most
talked of. the most visited. the most
beautiful Capital in, the world. Having
such a colossal bird s-eye view" of
the entire resources of the United
States located here in Washington
would attract people here from all
over the world. The big industries
Of our country would establish Offices
here and retain permanently in
Washington a small army of repre-
sentatives. agents Ha1d attendants to
meet. talk and interest this con-
stantly changing multitude of people
who were bent upon seeing. for re-
, taxation, business or education the
most important Capital city in the
world.
Instead of the big conventions of
the day-such as steel paper. lumber,