Evening star., 1922-12-26
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

Washington has the prospect Of the
greatest Christmas present that was
ever handed out by an unrecognizec
Santa Claus present costing the
donors $3o.oo0.o00. yet offered uncon-
ditionally to the nations capital. 1t
is to be the finest palace in the world.
and yet is not to be used as the resi-
dence of any royal tenant. 1t is to be
the permanent home Of the greatest
exposition of industrial arts and SCI
ences. and is offered by the associa- =
tion devoted to arts and sciences of
America. If Congress sees ft to
manifest appreciation by donating
site, well and good. but whether the
site be free or not, the enterprise
will go ahead. buying the land and
erecting the building at its own cost.
The funds are already in hand.
Such Is the announcement of Fred
erick NJ. Bradley OF New York. di-
rector of the American Arts and In
dustries Association, which has the
project under way, and his announce
ment is indorsed by Senator Bert NJ.
Fernald. chairman of the Senate COM
mittee on public buildings and
grounds. 1t is the fulfllment Of a
dream which has ruled the life of a
lady. Miss Rita Reen, for the last
eighteen years. She is the one who
has talked it. moved men to think ii
possible. and has pushed the vision
into reality. Her dream Is already
worked into a design by an architect.
Carlos Contreras of New York. and
the structure. 500 feet long by 400
feet wide, in the form OF cross,
with huge towers as beautiful as the
towers of the Cathedral Of Rheims,
will become the most magnifice nj
building in the world. according to
the enthusiasts who are presenting
the plan.
1t is not the architecture of the
building which constitutes the great
ness of the idea: it is the fact that
here will be gathered the greatest
permanent exposition Of arts and in
! dustries that the world has ever seen
Its influence on the development OF
American art and manufactures can
not now be appreciated except most
! vaguely.
The best examples of all that Amer
lean skill produces will here be seen
as standards of excellence, and for
any article to achieve the palace
| seal" will be greater proof Of merit
| than the gold medal of a dozen world
fairs. The exhibits will be the in
spiration of ingenuity for the whole
| world. Nowhere is there any exposi-
| ton which will compare with what
Washington is to have permanently
While it is to be constructed with
private capital. it will be controlled
| by commission to be selected by the
President. the Vice President and the
Speaker of the House-a unique plan
of nominating a commission.
X X x
| Does this permanent exposition as
planned supersede the transient world
fairs? The usefulness of such world
| fairs has been inestimable, and it is
! quite possible that they may now
| culminate in permanency, but that
cannot possibly interfere with the
! great sesquicentennial already pro-
jected for Philadelphia. for the Wash
/, ington exhibit will require some years
in completing. even If begun during
the coming summer.
| II is a long look back to the frs,
| great exhibit of this nature-the
/ Crystal Palace of London. where. in
| 1851. was held the first international
\ exposition. Then came the centen-
| nial exposition in 1876. which first
| awoke Americans to the progress OF
| our own arts and industries. and the
| Columbian exposition in Chicago in
! 1894. Nothing has equaled those three
/, from the standpoint of world interest
NOT the transmississippi exposition
! nor the Paris exposition.
| This exposition will be distinctively
! American. built entirely with Ameri-
| can capital. managed entirely through
| the nomination of the high officials
| OF the American nation. and it will
| mark an about face" of the world oi
| thought and progress. Instead of oul
seeking inspiration from the past ir
| Europe and the orient. all the world
must come to Washington to keep il
| touch with the most advanced steJ
! IN cotemporaneous progress. We have
here the patent Office. with ii.
| masses of inventions. most of which
f! prove abortive when it comes to prac-
| teal application. To supplement thai
| Will now be seen the successful fruit:
| of mems genius such as have never
! been shown together
1 x
| Congress will be urged by its com.
| nittee on public buildings of the
| House. and probably equally by the
(, corresponding committee of the Sen.
,te. to appropriate ss.00o.o00 for the
| immediate erection of an archieve.
/ building. and for a building for the
| Department of Labor. Both OF these
/ buildings are badly needed. The
public records. which are of priceless
value. are not safely housed at pres.
| mt. It is conceded that there is real
danger o: loss by either fire or theft
and it is clearly the duty of the
Congress to provide safety. The
| 'rection of a building for the Labor
| Department by the government i.
matter of economy. to stop the
! ,ayment of extravagant rent. There
$ no excuse for the government:
| ,aying rental. year after year. for it.
| permanent housing needs.