The Washington herald., 1921-09-11

tton OF the group 10 tFamo haidy Shto
Square. The plans already devel-
oped contemplate extending the an-
mex to H street, the present build
ing being one-third Of the complete
structure.
TN the hurry Of war needs the
plans for q hotel at the northwest
corner of Vermont avenue and H
street were used for a building to
house the War Risk Insurance. ac-
tivities. The building In Its de-
sign and its height is a serious de-
parture from the plan OF 1901, and
for an indefinite time the only pur-
pose IL can serve the cause OF good
planning is that Of terrible warn
ing.
ID. O. Fountains Dry.
''The report Of 1901 laid particu-
lar stress upon the need in the Dis
trict of Columbia for the abundant
use of water in fountains, both as
an ornament to the city and as q
means Of mitigating the intense
heats of summer. The Mcmillan
fountain, one of the beautiful foun-
tains of this country, Is the chief
feature of Mcmillan Park. SO named
in honor of the Senator to whom SO
many improvements in the District
Of Columbia are due. A fountain
Of exquisite design has replaced the
statue of Admiral Dupont in Du-
pont Circle, and three fountains In
the Union Station Plaza represent
the additions since 1901 to the city
fountains. Meanwhile the water
supply, inadequate twenty years
ago, is now so limited as to pre-
clude the playing Of the fountains
during periods when they SSe most
needed. Washington FOUNTAINS are
dry fountains. The Mcmillan foup-
tain Is designed to use water on its
way from the reservoir to the filter
beds; the Dupont fountain IL eup-
piled by an electric pump which
pumps the same water over and
over again; but Congress has not
made the appropriation necessary
to supply the current and the foun-
tain remains dry. The plaza foun-
tains also are supplied by electric
pumps. It is to be hoped that In
the increase in tho water supply
recently provided for by Congress a
sufficient quantity Of water may be
available to utilize these sources Of
health and enjoyment.
Lower Avenue . Disgrace.
THE Mcmillan report advises the
purchase of the squares south of
Pennsylvania avenue between that
thoroughfare and the Mall. Con-
gress made q start on such pur-
chases by taking the blocks bounded
by Pennsylvania avenue. Fifteenth,
B and Fourteenth streets for the
Department OF Justice, the then De-
partment of Commerce and Labor
and the Department of State. Plans
for these buildings were secured by
competition, were submitted to the
Commission of Fine Arts and ap-
proved, but q change of administra-
tion intervened to prevent the pro-
ject from being carried out. No fur
ther action has been taken and the
frontage on Pennsylvania avenue
near the Capitol has steadily dete-
riorated until today It Is admittedly
a disgrace to the Capital. Rooming
houses, laundries, the cheapest class
Of hotels and junk shops line the
chief thoroughfare.
The desirability OF widening the
Conduit road from Georgetown to
Great Falls and securing the con-
troll Of the Potomac banks was
dwelt upon in the report of 1901
This project depended more or less
on the necessity. even then appar-
ent, of increasing the Washington
water supply. That necessity has
now become SO acute that Congress
has been forced to act. In the
work of increasing the water sup
ply the park features should not be
lost sight of. An area on both sides
of the river at Great Falls neces-
sary to protect the government
works should be secured and become
a portion of the park syrtem. The
road leading thereto should be
boulevarded and q driveway, now
much used. but narrow, dangerous
and Ill kept. should be turned into
a well-ordered and well-policed
pleasure drive.
Conclusions and Outlook.
Tn comparing the projects for
the Improvement of the park sys-
tenn of the District Of Columbia as
presented In the report Of the Sen
ate Park Commission with the
actual accomplishment during two
decades one must be struck with the
largeness Of the actual accomplish
ment. Professedly that report out
lined development to cover an In
definite period of years; and even
the most optimistic of its authors
could not have anticipated the ac-
tual strides toward Accomplishment
that twenty years would brine
about. 1t 10 . tribute to the inher-
ent worth of the plan that, while "a
little has been done contrary to It
so much has been achieved in ac-
cordance with II. 1t is doubly for
tunate, also, that the great features
OF the plan, its general outlines, its
fundamental principles as to the
disposition Of public monuments and
buildings and parks and parkways
have been adopted and are the con
trolling motives for future work,
This Is due largely to the fact that
the plan of 1901 was based on the
LEnfant plan of 1872, the authority
Of which plan needed only to be as
serted to be recognized. II Is no
dirparagement. but is rather a trib-
ute. to the authors Of the plan of
1901 that they recognized the ex-
cellence Of the work done in the
beginning and set themselves to the
task Of carrying on what has been
30 well begun.
This II Q restless era An sorts
Of suggestions are being made for
improvements and changes. Many
Of these new projects are based on
the desire OF individuals to exploit
themselves. Others are due to ig-
norancs Of the existing plan and
the progress Of the work being done
In accordance with II or to i'm
patience at delays in accomplishing
results. The Commission Of Fine
Arts are not concerned with the
rate Of progress: they are vitality
concerned that the progress shall be
always toward the goal get in 1892