Evening star., 1923-04-22
CIVIC LEADERS JOIN
IN PLAN TO SELL
WASHINGTON" TO U. S.
Continued from First Page.0

Continued from First Page.)
sented by experts in various lines. at
the dinner held last night at the Ma
tional Club of the Association of
University Women. Charles Moore,
chairman of the commission Of fine
arts, declared that Washington
should have an organized body To-
Gated here to coordinate and CO.
operate with all other agencies work.
ing for the betterment and i'm
provement of the Capital City.
He said a committee Of influential
and disinterested men and women
should be organized in Washington.
which could speak authoritatively and
effectively to Congress on the needs
of the Capital.
Camps for Park Sites.
Mr.. Moore added that in the con-
ception Of the greater Washington
plan, he foresaw the day when the
areas now occupied by Camps
Humphreys and Meade would have
to be purchased for park sites. The
big thing at present. he said, is to
interest the people of the nation in
Washington as the first capital OF
the world.
Mr.. Moore did not go specifically
into many phases Of the greater
Washington plan, merely touching
| on the point that the banks of the
Potomac on both sides should be
acquired, in order, that their develop
! ment under proper auspices might
| be carried out.
Referring to the organization OF
i, a general committee to sell" Wash
| ington to tho American people. he
said the plan suggested by Fred
| G. Coldren of a permanent commit
/ tee on parks i'll the District of Co
| lumbia, should also include men and
women we'll posted on other needs
| of the federal city.
| Committee ON Parks.
Mr. Coldren, who is chairman of
! the parks committee of the wash
| ington Board of Trade, suggested
| the appointment of permanent COM
| mittee on parks. for which should
be appropriated by Congress each
! year enough money TO purchase land
which in its judgment should be in
! corporated in the park system of
| the city. lie called the park prob
! lem one of the pressing ones of the
| capital
! Specifically. Mr.. Coldren pointed out
! the possibility of construction of
| drivew ways along the Potomac river
I both above and below Washington:
! the necessity Of a direct connecting
! link between Rock Creek Park and
| Anacostia: the possibilities of park
| development on the hills east of Ana :
costa, and utilization of the banks OF
! the Potomac river for park purposes.
! The Conduit road, he said. is too far
| back from the river to provide an
adequate view of the Potomac, and he
suggested scenic roadway from
Washington to Great Falls.
J Mr.. Coldren added that the volume
| of water IN Rock Creek is decreasing
each year. and that it might be saved
by purchase Of property in Maryland
near the head Of the stream.
! School authorities are finding i'm
Inense difficulty in finding proper and
adequate school sites in Washington,
Stephen e. Kramer. assistant super
| intendent OF schools. declared. Mr..
Kramer said the difficulty in finding
proper school sites was added 10 the
| constantly increasing congestion III
the public schools. which. he added.
has caused elimination of assembly
halls-"the heart of the school" The
ottsta t,,, 10, hn
two junior high schools now under
construction are already outgrown, al
! though they have hardly been begun.
Public Building Program.
Pointing out the need OF an arc
hives building in Washington as one
example. Col. G. Q. Sheriff., officer
in charge Of public buildings and
grounds. emphasized the necessity OF
an adequate and comprehensive build
ing program for the Capital. He said
notwithstanding the lessening of
work within the past few years. there
are still in Washington twelve tempo
rary buildings, which cannot reason
ably be replaced. Several important
government departments, he added,
are housed in rented building, which
are LOO Siildll Ioi liicHl. iiC o'N0u
the backing of the American Civic
Association in formulating definite
public building program for the
government.
John NJ. Cries. housing expert of
the Department of Commerce. fore
saw in fifty years a Washington with
population of more than million
people. if the population continues
at the same rate of growth as In the
past fifty years. He said future prl-
vate and public building programs
must be formulated with that future
in sight. Washington is city OF
extremes regarding population, MT.
Cries declared. He said research had
shown there are more widows here
per hundred of population than in any
other city Of the country: that for
every 100 females in Washington only
men to every 100 women in the city.
These population curiosities make the
capital a city peculiar In itself as
regards the housing situation and one
in which ample latitude must be
allowed for future contingencies.
Only Streets to Play In.
Thousands Of children growing up
in Washington nave only the streets
of the city to play in, Mrs. Susie Root
Rhodes, director of Fairgrounds, de-
clared in urging an amplified play
ground program. 1t seems too bad,
she said that Washington. a leader
in the playground movement, had not
kept pace with it's own creation.
There are now in Washington, Mrs.
Rhodes declared, less than ten acres
there are twenty-five Fairgrounds
with an ayarpro daily attendance NJ