Evening star., 1921-03-02

and the War Risk insurance building
are striking examples of this. The
looker-on does not get the concep-
/ ton of their majestic proportions
/ that he would If they set in the CEN
I ter of the square.
! Some of the buildings on the Mall
/ in this respect are fortunate in their
location. The CAPITOL grand and
! stately structure that 1t Is. is much
enhanced in its beauty and symmetry
by its surroundings. The Union sta
ton. colossal in size. imposing in Its
architecture. has the advantage of It's
great plaza. How much more i'm
pressive would it be if Congress
would only get to work and put the
| Intervening grounds between it and
, the Capitol in the shane which formed
part of the original design. Ono
| painfully apparent defect in the
| Union station plan is that it provides
no shelter for passengers to the
/ for automobiles are lamentably in
| sufficient
| IF Washington had an auditorium
! Of the dimensions of the Coliseum at
! Chicago it would bring dozens and
doz:ns Of conventions here because
! of the other SURPRISING attract ons
i of the ctv. This would bring in a
revenue which would help materially
in meeting the fixed charges. This
would be the case also with the other
| " D6 lHCluQeu III lle pldHS
/ Discusses Requirements.
i I have talked at length with Mr.. j.
Rush Marshall on this subject. In
common with all who know him. I
have the most profound respect for
his artistic and aesthetic taste. Mr..
Marshall thinks a building intended
for great functions and vast crowds
fourth of its allotted ground, and
that exclusive of streets. Provision
should be made for parking 1000 au-
tomobiles and for the arrival and de-
minutes. and the trolley cars should
iawait them under cover on their exit.
! All this should be within the grounds
and not on the streets.
| Before long we will have a super
vision that will permit and direct an
interchange of trackage between our
two systems of trolley lines Then
! cars can be brought to and sent from
any given point If a passenger can
| take a car at the auditorium and be
| taken by it to the stop nearest his
home mile further to travel would
be no hardship. There should be a
group of buildings. the auditorium
capab BILE of holding comfortably a vast
acoustics. well lighted. properly
heated and ventilated. and with
kitchen facilities This large build
ing, inextensive grounds. should have
pavilions connecting with it. contain
. ing smaller auditoriums mad rooms
| for the various societies, patri otic
! and civil. that are deemed worthy to
occupy them.
| Next there should he an amph
theater with vast arena and large
seating capacity. this forming the
forecourt of the auditorium usable
for all outdoor functions, including
| the handling Of trolley cars and au-
! tomobiles under cover under the seats
1 hi ia
dominate the mass architecturally,
| holding the carlton that is being sub
scribed for.
Many Music Lovers Here.
| Washington contains very large
| element Of musicloving people. This
I is demonstrated by the crowded at
| tendance at all the high-gra con-
certs given here, amounting at least
/ to fifty in the winter season, and
| numerous other musical functions. 1t
is hap and hazard to obtain places for
! these performances. as it is dependent
| upon the regular engagements of the
theaters. How fine it would be to
have lovely music hall, especially
| constructed to meet the requirements
| of such occasions!
Mr.. Marshall suggests that the
proper location for all this is where
land can be obtained in sufficient
| areas and at reasonable prices with
hood or active business localities
where the existing main trunk lines
of trolleys are npt far apart and c:'n
be easily connected. One location ad-
mirably fulfilling these conditions Is
| on the east bank OF Rock creek. be-
| tween n and = streets, and from Rock
creek east to Gath street. The triangle
called square thirteen with square
twenty-three and closing 25th street
gives a plot 740 feet east and west
| md p nd ,oI
tains about $4,000 square feet.
Rock creek bends at this point and the
projected driveway connecting PotO-
| mac Park with Rock Creek Park may
! contemplate taking some of this land
on the western boundary but the mar
way would be seemingly expanded to
embrace the auditorium. and the road
| ways Of the parkway would serve as
an approach on the west and perha ps
give a lower level than those on the
east.
Study of Suggested Place.
] made a close inspection of this To-
caiity day or two since. At present i,
presents a decidedly disheveled appear.
ance, but it struck me as an ideal spot
for the purpose. 1t certainly is suscept-
ible of great possibilities in the way ol
adornment. Bordering on Rock creek
il affords wonderful opportunities fol
landscape effects. There is no building
of value on it, and the ground would not
command more than nominal price
1t is hard-by both Washington and
lGeorgetown and practically within a
stones throw of the fine residential sec
tons which cluster around Dupont and
Sheridan circles.
| Now you may say this is an ambitious
scheme of magnificent proportions. Well
suppose it is. Is it not worth the effort
Unity of purpose and unity of work is
not likely to fail. Between the two
wonders have been accomplished and
wonders can still be accomplished. We
need not put up all these buildings at
once, but let us make start. Some 81
the grand cathedrals of Europe were
| scores and hundreds OF years in build
ing. Now they are beauty and a JOY
| to all who behold them. AS Mr.. Mar
shall says, Why cannot we do team
! work and join our various pet projects
into one combination?
The George Washington Memorial AS
sociation has obtained a good plan, GER
tain subscriptions and the consent of
Congress to occupy a certain site. The
| knights of Columbus have made very
generous offer of a large sum of money
to erect and endow building that would
much help to fulfill the city's needs. A
memorial to Theodore Roosevelt is pro-
jected here. with funds on hand. Would
it not be possible to coordinate these
unrelated projects into one combined
, scheme and still keep the identity of