Pueblo chieftain., 1921-06-14
A SKYSCRAPER CAPITAL

Washington send protest hack
through Sir Oliver Lodge.
These purely utilitarian structures
arc regarded as temporary. but the
great and prolonged rumhling for every
inch II advances. II will be years be-
fore all these emergency buildings are
discarded. Ard when they are, whit
are the permanent ones to be like;
We can get good idea by turning
mcnt buildings lately erected-the In
terror. La2Aor. Commerce. Engraving.
and Internal Revenue buildings
Only tho Internal Revenue building.
across the street from the Treasury.
rs an exception 20 tho tendency to
ignore architecture and tradition. II is
a return TO tho style OF the Treasury.
and would he one OF the show places
of the District u IL were surrounded
by shrubbcry and grounds instead OF
being jammed on one side by a theAter
and at the back by n bank.
The New buildings
The others are long blocks Of brick
or stone They are efficient otfice
buildings. but as material for souvenir
post cards or a background for tour
ists to have their pictures taken
against. they are distinctly inferior
TO the old bc-coiumned buildings.
o
art in connection with government Of
nccs was in 1912. Then designs were
under consideration for State, Com
mcrce. Justice. al Supreme Court
buildings. The drawings were digni-
ned and imposing, with the classic
arches. friczcs. statuary. and columns.
go long sacred 10 the temples OF sov-
crnmcnt activity.
These needed buildings were to b-
located south OF Pennsylvania avenue.
where government owns ;argc tracts
of land. Etili presumably reserved tor
government structures. In this section
there Is room for number OF build
inEs. each with the SPACIOUS outlook.
which. to I.Enfants mind. was to he
the great charm Of Washington. The
proposed buildings were planned and
assumed to definite places in this spac.
ious parking. And there their history
ended.
The government structures now
south of Pennsylvania avenue COM
pared with those north OF II in tho
L'Elfants wisdom Nearly all of tho
show buildings are south OF the ave-
nue..
The only trouble with those directly
on Pennsylvania avenue is that they
face backwards. The White House.
War Department and Treasury is an
impressive row. all present their back
yards to cameras and visitors alike.
The fronts. far more attractive, face
on parking, and would bc scarcely
recognized in a picture. even by Wash
iuEtonitns.
This situation Is partly due to tho
fact that there is no direct thorough
fare at the real front of these ,TIld-
ings as there is at the back The street
on which thoy face travels n round
about way past tho white House gard
ems which bulge in eNasperatins
curves Business. even government
business, seeks the quicker back door
route.
LEnfont's plan received one OF IT,
first jol's in this frpnt-door-versus-
back proposition. Then Pennsylvania
avenue was knocked one-sided at the
Treasury Department and the view
from the Capitol to the White House.
supposed to he one beautiful milc-long
vista, was cut into two pieces. Since
then the intentions of cong--ss have
always been good. but eStenuatin.
circumstances have too often been
pleaded an excuse for sacrificing art.
If Washington continues as 2! IL read
ing now 1t can only be expected to
drop in the list of beautiful capitals
to an unenviable place.
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snail which has he<a 4,ued to 4
card in a museum for several years
has been known to come to lie when
1T was immersed in water.