The Washington times., 1921-04-16
.P[ANSWOR[D'S
FINEST GARDEN
Congressman LangIey's Bill
Would Make Botanic Display 4
Here Unrivaled.

Plans to make the National Bo-
tanic Garden the rival of any in the
world are proposed to Congress In
bill introduced in the House by
Chairman John w. Langley OF the
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, who intends to bold hear
ing probably next week,
MEMBERS LOVE GARDEN.
Any attempt to remove the Bo-
tanic Garden out of the city, where
u will be Inaccessible to the rest
dents OF Washington and the thou
sands of visitors, will be vigorously
opposed by Congressman Langley.
Members of Congress love the Bo-
tanic Garden because 1t has for years
heen their handiest retreat" said Mr..
Langley, "and they will never con-
rent to it's removal to any place where
1t could not be easily reached by the
people and by the visitors from their
home states who count the Botanic
Garden as one of the most attractive
sights in. their tours of the Capt.
tall"
To enlarge the Botanic Garden
without removing 1t from the city
Congressman Langley provides alter
nate proposals.
SEEKS MORE GROUND.
He FIRST suggests that additional
ground adjacent to the garden where
1t now 10 at the base of Capitol Hill
should be procured. or else the gar
den could be ideally located in East
Potomac Park with three-milc
speedway and water front surround.
ing it.
George w. Hess, director of the
Botanic Garden, will be invited 10
appear before the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds to give
his views on the proposal to make
the garden as large and as beautiful
as any in the world. other public
spirited citizens also are expected to
express their views.
"From extensive Investigations that
I have made" declared Mr.. Langley,
81 find that this Government is far
behind all the other leading countries
in having an up-to-date botanic gar =.
den. Such an institution has always
been strong in the diffusion OF knowl-
edge and scientific discoveries. This
must be corrected. l believe the diff
ficulty Is because the existing institu-
ton has been badly cramped for
space.
OUTLINES HIS PLANS.
my idea Is to give II plenty OF
ground for development, and at the
same time keep 1t close to the center
of population, especially so that
visitors may easily nnd 1t and spend
some time there without having to
waste half a day going out to Rock
Creek Park where some time ago IL
was proposed to remove 1t, or the
Hamilton tract on the road to Balti-
more where more recently there has
been a proposal to place it."
Mr.. Langley believes II would be
a mistake to make a so-calfed park
out of the garden where monumental
monstrosities" could be erected. while
not counting the Grant Memorial In
this class, he declared he did not be-
iieve 1t fair either to the garden or
to the memorial to have 1t hidden
from public view behind shrubbery
and backed up toward the Capitol.
To increase the garden space in It's
present location, Mr.. Langley's bill
proposes to take two blocks west OF
the present site. between Maryland
avenue and Missouri avenue and Third
and Sixth streets. These squares are
already owned by the Government, in
cluded in the scheme Of the Fine Arts
Commission to beautify the National
Capital.
AGAINST HAMILTON TRACT.
In the event that Congress be-
lfeves the garden should be de-
veloped on an even larger scale. he
will propose to locate it in East Po-
tomac Park. This location would
give it about ten times as much
space as under present conditions and
would serve greatly to beautify the
driveways through the park.
Mr.. Langley Is not even consider
ing the Hamilton tract in his plans
to develop the garden. Not only IL
the price sof the land prohibitive, he
declares, but its soil is not suitable
for such planting as is contemplated.
Congressman Norman ]. Gould,
chairman Of the Committee on the
Library, under whose Jurisdiction the
Botanic Garden comes, is cooperating
with Mr.. Langley in his effort to re-
move 1t to a more suitable location. :
He agrees with Mr.. Langley that eth
er of the two proposed sites would be
approved by Congress IL 1t undertakes
to improve the garden.