The Washington herald., 1921-09-11

Tlcu Oulg khc greenhouses So PTO-
vided for can be utilized for propa-
eating the required plants and
shrubs. Moreover, the improvement
of the James Creek Canal spaces
would work a much h-needed change
in a tract of land sadly in need of
development and would result in an
agreeable park connection between
the Capitol grounds and the grounds
of the Army War College.
Memorial Plans Approved.
Congress has authorized the oc-
cupation Of the north side Of the
Mall between Sixth and Seventh
streets (the former site of the Penn
sylvania station) by the George
Washington Memorial, . building to
be occupied by a large auditorium
and several smaller halls. Plans
for such a building were prepared
and were approved by the Commits
sion of Fine Arts. -Auditoriums,
both large and small, designed for
the uses of conventions, inaugural
exercises and meetings of patriotic
societies are among the prime ne
cessities of Washington. Such gath
ering Baces would meet govern
mental needs and others remipublic,
but no less advantageous to the
growth of American feeling.
The space between Seventh and
Ninth (extended) streets, now occu-
pied by temporary buildings, Is re-
served for the site of a building to
hold the National Gallery of Art,
under the control of the Smithson-
ian Institution. Until such time as
Congress shall provide for a build
ing to house the really fine collec-
tions of works of art that have been
given to the nation, this space,
when freed from the temporary
buildings, will maintain its place as
a portion of the Mall. The planting
and roadways continuous with those
already in place can then be put in.
L'Enfant Axis Changed.
According to the L'Enfant plan
the monument to George Washing
ton was to be located at the point
where line drawn due west from
the center of tho Capitol would in
tersect line drawn due south from
the center of the White House. On
these axial relations the Mall COM
position depended for its effect. The
builders of the Washington Monu-
ment, despairing- Of securing ade-
quate foundations in the lowlands
at the intersection of the main and
the cross axis, located the monu-
ment without regard to points fixed
in the pan. Feeling the absolute
necessity Of restoring these reIa-
t1onships. the Park Commission
boldly determined to create q new
main axis by drawing a line from
the Capitol dome through the Wash
ington Monument and prolonging it
IN = - -
they created, on the then unim-
proved lands dredged from the river
to form Potomac Park, a site FOR
a new memorial. Here they placed
the long-contemplated memorial TO
Abraham Lincoln. This they did
with full comprehension of the fact
that by common consent Lincoln is
the one man in the shistory of this
nation worthy to stand with Wash
ington In the great central compo-
sition.
Potomac Bridges Raped.
The Mcmillan act for the elimi-
nauon OF grade crossings in the
District Of Columbia provided for
the construction of two bridges
across the Potomac, one for atesn
railroads and the other for yehfrles
The railroads were facing the ex-
penditure of $4,000, ,0OO-a large
sum In those days-and the District
was piling up deficits instead on
oeing the opulent partner IL has
now become. Hence the two brutal
bridges. The Highway Bridge con-
meets Potomac Park with a lit,Ie
race track with the marshes lately
used as the city dump and with A.,
rlcultural Department barns. so de-
signed and constructed as 10 tbrns,
their ugliness upon ones attention
with all the insistence of a snojIsd
child at table. Through thi, varia-
gated area q narrow, tortuot,s. dan
serous road winds its uncertain wav
to Arlington National Cemst.ry
Inc bodies of the nations dead tAka
this path to their last resting piaos
over the same road distineuished
visitors from other nations carry
vreaths to place upon our national
snrlne At Mount Vernon.
The bridge now being construct
90 oetween Georgetown and Ross-
Iyn VIII lievs traffic on the High
way 6rioge; but both bridges will
traffic frnssliy ass S..isI Unitarian as to both
Temporary BuiIdfnx, Hids.r.
The temporary war build,n
used by the Navy Department anS
the munitions division of the We
department may be used for q tIr,a
IN order to house government worL
ers until new and appropriate bnild
Imss can be constructed elsewhera
hese temporary buildings are ~
iactorylike In design and they 40
invade encroach upon and disfipurs
rotomac Park that the American
people viii not suffer them perma-
nently 70 overawe and dwarf one q,
Sa greatest memorials. Sooner or
M s tne Lincoln Memorial will
e lne ugly structures to de-
81 Hon, They represent today one
- tne mucous consequences of the
war. NO memorial of that
var In washington should be un.
these buildings remain "hne
war Risk TERRIBLE warr,,,
In 1920 a bill was tntroduc.s q
the senate to purchase as . st,s IN
tne state Department tha sn,,o
olock between Lafayette sonsra @
seventeenth street. This hi, saa
the approval of the President 80
tne secretary OF State. Cons,d.rsa
the combined business and saii
uses Tor which the State Densrt
ment building was designed, ~.
LaIayette Square site is the IoeicaI
Iocation- The government aIrsada
owns portion Of the square. Ths
character OF the occupancy has
steadiiy declined during the nat
decades. SO that there are now hnt
one or two houses Of consideration
Wnere twenty years ago the eouars
vas one OF the city's social centers
me Treasury Annex, constructed