Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-14

style to the government architecture,
and variety was achieved by using
different kinds of columns and porti-
cos after Greek and Roman examples
The buildings then were planned TO
allow for q setting OF grass and flower
beds. Now, the War Risk aud other
new buildings have tiny graan plots
less than the width of a q street.
L is all enough 20 make I.1snsant and
Washington send protest back
through Sir oliver Lodge.
These purely utilItarinn structures
are regarded as temporary. but the
| Government moves nonderously with
great and prolonged rumbllng for
every inch IL advances. IL Will be
years before an these emergency
buildings are discarded. And when
| they are. what are the permanent
ones TO be like?
We can get good idea by turning
60 the admittedly permanent Govern
ment buildings lately erected---the In
terror, Labor, Commerce. Engraving.
and Internal Revenue Buildings.
only the Internal Revenue Building.
across the street from the Treasury.
is an exception TO the tendency 10
Ignore architecture and tradition. Il
is return TO. the style of the Treas
ury, and would be one OF the show
places Of the District If IL were sur
rounded 10y shrubbery and grounds
instead of being iammed on one side
of theater and at the back by a
bank.
The New Buildings.
The others are long blocks of brick
or stone. They are efficient office
buildings. but as material for souvenir
post cards or a background for tour
lists To have their pictures taken
against. they are distinctly inferior 10
the old be-columned buildings.
The last anybody really heard of art
in connection with Government offices
was In 1912. Then designs were
under consideration for State. Conn
merce. Justice. and Supreme Court
Buildings. The drawings were digni-
fled and imposing. with the classic
arches, friezes. sta tuary and columns.
SO long sacred To the temples of Gov
ernment activity.
These needed buildings were to be
located south of Pennsylvania avenue.
NAAttE tHi fA0NNA 8tiittHA wv IFS AhA EF
tracts OF land, still presumably re-
served for Government structures In
this section there is room for num-
Der OF buildings. each with the spa
cious outlook. which, 10 LEnfant's
mind. was To he. the great charm of
Washington. Tho proposed buildings
We're planned and assigned to defin-
tie places in this spacious parking
And there their history ended
The Government structures now
south OF Pennsylvania avenue COM
pared with those north Of Il in the
business section are ample evidence
Of BEnfant's wisdom. Nearly all of
the show buildings are south Of the
avenue.
The only trouble with those directly
on Pennsylvania avenue is that they
face backwards. The White House.
war Department. and Treasury IN an
impressive row. all present their back
yards to cameras and visitors alike
The fronts. far more attractive. face
on parking. and would be scarcely
recognized in picture, even by
Washingtonians.
This situation is partly due to the
fact that there is no direct thorough
fare at the real front of these build
ings as there is at the hack The
street on which they face travels a
roundabout way past the White
House gardens which bulge IN ex-
curves. Business. even
Government business, seeks the
quicker back door route.
L.Enfant's plan received one OF its
first jolts in this front-door- versus
back proposition. Then Pennsylvania
avenue was knocked onc-sided at the
Treasury Department and the view
from the Capitol to the White House.