The Washington herald., 1920-07-24
u. s., Because of Its Immense Foreign
Population Cannot Isolate Itself
From Serious Ouerseas Problems

the presence here of Gianni Ca
proni. inventor of the fighting air
plane bearing his name. Caproni. a
young man of about thirty FIVE
years, is at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
He said:
Il fear for your country should 1t
enter another great war. What a
pity the American government has
let it's interest in aviation die down
and stopped it's development of the
battle plane. The way to keep out
of war is to be always ready. No
body wishes to fight the strong. 1t
is the weak and the unprepared who
are attacked"
Both D'Annunzio and Caproni ind
much in New York to remind them
of their native land. II is the
architecture, they say. which brings
a warm feeling around their hearts,
many OF the principal buildings re-
tiecting the influence OF the French
and Italian schools. AS a matter
OF fact over 400 American archi-
tects have studied in the Paris
school of fine arts and travelled in
Italy. which for centuries was the
source of all spiritual inspiration.
She twice led the world, in the
period Of the Roman empire and
later in the Renaissance.
Italian Architecture.
The New York structures which
might be transported to Rome and
found to be in harmony Herewith
the great edifices of the world:
Chamber of Commerce, Woolworth
Building. Public Library. Metropoli-
tan Museum, Pennsylvania Station,
He'll Gate Bridge, Grand Central
Station, Singer Building, Chelsea
docks, Biltmore Hotel and Soldiers
and Sailors Monument.
Only yesterday ground was
marvel-New York's new 10000, 900
county courthouse. The site cost
SIS, ,000. 900. being the block bordered
by Pearl, Duane and Worth streets
and City Hall place. The original
intention was to spend $4,000. 900
for the building but taxpayers
made such a howl about 1t that the
original plans, calling for a round
structure were put aside and new
plans drawn for a building six
stories high and hexagonal in
shape.
Thlrty-two Courtrooms.
Altogether there will be thirty
two courtroops, chambers for
M
with private passages connecting
the offices of the judges on the fifth
floor down into the courtrooms on
the second, third and fourth floors.
Entrances from all sides of the
building lead to a huge circular
lobby.
A few years ago an Englishman
visiting New York for the first
time said: This city Is certain
to either fall in or fall over some
day" The tall buildings and many
subways bewildered him. 1t is we'll
to record that the city's surge and
roar of traffic. the atmosphere of
breathless haste and everything
keyed to abnormal tension Ias
come a new sense of the proprieties
with respect to the height to which
a building may now go.
Building Height Restricted.
On Fifth avenue buildings can
be erected no higher than one and
the width of the street,
unless the structure is set back
from the building line. For each
foot Of this offset one story can
be added. On Broadway and Park
avenue the structure can rise twice
the width of the street. with the
same allowance for offsets. Where
a structure occupied only 25 per
cent OF the area of a lot. 1t can
have tower to any height. as
high as Babel II so desired.
A restriction OF cornices to
of only three feet will
mar much Of the beauty of the
edges Of future structures. Archi-
tects with whom I talked claim
that such a narrow ledge does away
with all possibilities for lights and
shades.
The city's famous skyline for the
moment Is quite as uneven and
varied as the e\nationalities, tastes
and other characteristics of the
people who live in the bosom of
New york's .sltitudss