Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-16
Seeks to Enlist Whole Nation
] In Washington Model City Plan
''Conamittee on the Federal City, to PusI,
Campaign Throughout U. S. to Stin'u-
late Interest in Progressive Projects:

"'The United States is being organ
feed to make Washington a model
city" says William E. Brigham,
Washington correspondent of the
Boston Transcript in dispatch to
his paper. For some years the Amer
lean civic Association has noted with
anxiety the failure of the authorities.
congressional and otherwise, to OK
erciSe foresight in many cases where
this quality would have saved money.
led to the preservation of priceless
historic spots, developed highway
systems. secured adequate play
grounds for children and done many
other things necessary to the proper
development of the National Capital
along modern lines.
But what Is every bodys business
is nobody's business. truth which
has inspired the association to or
sanize a committee on the Federal
city whose functions are designed to
be national in scope and to arouse
throughout the country a public SEN
timent which shall demand that
Washington shall be treated, in point
of physical construction and develop
ment, in a manner commensurate
with its Importance to the nation. II
is the theory of the association. and
a correct one. that the people of the
United States are intensely interested
III their capital
Yearn 10 Visit Capital.
They yearn to visit in and. having
done so. they return home with pro-
found impression of it's beauty; for
in its outlines and AS whole Wash
inSton is unsurpassed by any city OF
the world in point of symmetrical de-
sign, impressiveness of public build
ings, width of streets and wealth OF
foliage.
but In many details, some of them
directly affecting the personal life
and comfort of the people, Washing
ton is sadly lacking. These points OF
omission the visitors miss, nor car
they be expected to understand, foI
example, how IA strict execution al
some of the plans made twenty years
ago by even such experts as those OF
the Mcmillan commission may fine
themselves in conflict with later de-
Hclopments and much i'll need OF
modification-thiS more particularly
with respect to highways. Strange
as it may seem, no city planning
scheme for Washington ever haC
been laid out, except the excellent
general plan Of the Mcmillan Com
mission. which now may need re.
vision James Mcmillan of Detroit {
members of Congress who interested
themselves devotedly in the suitable
development of the National Capital
The advisory commission which he
called to his aid was composed OF
men like Daniel :. Durham of Chi
cago, Augustus ST. Gaudens. Charlie:
Mcl<im and Frederick Law Olmsted.
Much still TO he Done.
In line with the dream of these
men Congress some years ago eStab
lished the Fine Arts Commission. al
advisory body, which nevertheless:
exerts an influence that almos
amounts to power with its SugEeS
tions as to the propriety Of statues
monuments and other memorial ol
Identification projects. but much re
mains to be done along major anC
minor lines. Consequently the Ameri'
can Civic Association has resolved e
fill the void with an organization
which shall study it's problems as z
whole and in detail and render gen
uine service to Congress. the people
of Washington and the country.
The chairman of the committee
acts gracefully in adopting the
phrase. which the modest Washing
ton. when speaking of it, always APP
piled to the capital which bears hi:
name-iS Frederic 4. Delano, for
merly a railroad man of prominence
later vice governor of the Fedora
Reserve Board. and now 4 permanen
resident of Washington as receive
for the Supreme Court of the United
States. Mr.. Delano was member o
the committee which acted Will
Burnham in aiding Chicago to affair
her superb civic developments. ant
he is equally enthusiastic in deslrint
that the most shall be made of thu
wonderful possibilities of Washing
ton. A committee of leading Wash
ingtonians to act under his direction
will be organized here, and ~ Is In
tended to duplicate this organlZa
tion by means of local committees IL
all the large cities of the country.
Some Progress Made.
Some progress already has beer
made In New York GuStaVus t
Kirby. head of the American art
galleries, a practical business mar
stepped in beauty, has consented tC
serve as chairman, provided his serV'
ices are not drawn upon before next
June. when he will be free to give
his time to the work. Mrs. Edward
Biddle heads the list in Philadelphia
In Baltimore William NJ. Ellicott-o1