Evening star., 1924-01-27
Arousing Interest in Washington
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN

A new attempt is being made to in
terest Americans all over the country
in their National Capital. The city
or Washington is often described in
patriotic language as the beloved
possession of every American. but IN
reality most of the people who live
outside its limits. and a good many
who live In the shadow OF the Capt.
tol dome, never think about the re-
sponsibilities of ownership
Now. the American Civic Associa-
ton has determined to make the
physical development Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia an object OF major
interest to the country. Every per-
son in the United States is a non
resident citizen of the National Capt.
tai, and the association has under
taken to keep these citizens at large
informed regarding their city. so
its welfare. Committees on the
federal city are being formed in
different sections OF the country.
About fifty of these committees are
already functioning and more are
10 be organized.
What the nonresident citizens of
ashington are expected 10 do to-
ward bringing about better condi-
tions in the Capital is mainly to
adopt an attitude of active interest
toward it.. Congress controls the
affairs OF the voteless district. Every
strip of land. every project for i'm
proving the streets or adding a
needed wing to q school building
must be acceptable to Congress.
When IL Is remembered that 10000
bills are introduced in Congress every
is strongly impressed with the neces-
sity for pleasing large group of
constituents. II is seen why some
strange conditions exist in Washing
ton.
1t is not that Congress is antag-
onistic toward the National Capital.
But in the first place Congress- time
is valuable, and in the second place
the Capitals finances are a matter on
which II is possible for a congress-
man to economize without offending
any element Of his constituency. He
may even make campaign material
of the fact that he blocked the
spending of money on improvements
in the District. Undoubtedly. IL the
people of the nation want their Capt.
tai to be a great and inspiring city,
their congressman will attack the
Districts problems with a greater in
terest.
In the century and a quarter of its
a few prophets among its statesmen
who could see great things ahead for
it, and these prophets have always
had to battle with the great con-
servative majority who never be-
lieve in investing too heavily in the
down to Calvin Coolidge. practically
every President has urged Congress
to consider carefully the welfare and
future of the National Capital. But
in every decade the ultra-conserva-
tives have scored
Once Was n Mudhole.
When President Adams moved the
government headquarters to the new
federal city the officials who followed
| him found the place "a city Of streets
without houses" without "one soli-
tary attractive feature" and "a mud
hole almost equal to The great Serb
oman bog" They apparently had not
the slightest glimpse Of the future
beauty which George Washington and
Mai. LEnfant, who planned the city.
clearly saw. The idea Of Washingtorl's 8
ever vying with Paris, Rome. or even
was entirely too much for the popu-
lar Imagination in those days. Even
In 1s46 the part OF the District of
Columbia which lay south Of the Po-
tomac river was given back to Vir-
einia, through the shortsIghted be-
lief that It would never be- needed.
It is easy to see and criticize these
| early mistakes, but a similar lack OF
| foresight threatens the future Of the
Capital. The reason for special con-
! Germ is that the city is growing and
| changing rapidly. Some of the
changes are in keeping with Len
fant's original plans. which were to
| make the Capital express the impor:
| tance, the dignity and the civic spirit
| OF the nation. But other changes are
| taking place which interfere with the
artistic development of the city. Com
| mercial structures and homes are
erected so close to public buildings.