Evening star., 1924-07-10

SdfQ tnen as not Imuch more -than SO
| many boardfeet of nice, pleasant
bunk" any way, some of us feel
like quoting that verse like this:
Woodman, spare that tree,
Touch not a single bough.
l. In youth 1t sheltered me
But l can't save it now.
progress, trees along 18th street be-
tween F and X streets. have gone to
the place from which no tree re-
turneth.
For forty years the District gov
ernment nursed and cared for those
trees, now they have taken them out
to make way for the widening of the
busy thoroughfare. An act of Con-
gress made their removal mandatory.
The street is ordered widened-
there Is no way to do IT except to
take out the trees" says Clifford
Lanham, superintendent of trees and
parking. He indicates that nothing
may be expected to take their place
except concrete.
1t is impossible to replant such old
trees, SO there is nothing to be done
with them but convert them into
lumber.
whether or not one reioices or
laments depends largely upon whether
his primary interest is beauty or busi-
ness. This is no reflection upon any
one. Every man has some foremost
interest 1t seems to me that busi-
~ q
equaled his mercantile Judgment
would find himself. in this case. in
the position of the noted donkey
placed between two bales of equally
attractive hay.
There is certainly cause for re-
joicing in that progress needs more
room. Progress often does need more
ROOM, There is reason for sadness,
however. in the loss of trees.
Poems are made by fools like me:
But only God can make tree.
Thus sang a poet, dead like many
Of the trees Of which he spoke. Some
thing of the feeling he expressed
must have been felt by all those. no
matter what their. interests, who
looked upon the fallen trees along
13th street, saw the gaping holes left
and noted the difference in the whole
appearance of the thoroughfare.
If Washington were essentially a
trees out Of its business district
might not be so sad thing.
But it is not primarily a business
city.
Not that it lacks business. 1t has
industries OF which 1t may be proud.
The achievements Of its business men,
Its bankers and merchants are works
in which any community might glory.
But no number Of special supple
ments will ever make it a fact that
this city is first and foremost a COM
business, the federal government, is
seeing to 1t otherwise. This city was
destined by Gen. Washington as the
seat of government and those who
worked with him held far-seeing
ideas of the beauty that should reign
here.
Despite some slowness in carrying
out the plans, in the main they are
fulfilled, or being fulfilled. in the Dis
trict of Columbia today.
This is a city of beauty, of fresh
air, green parks, noble trees. Here
disfigure and tend to make unhealthy
many of the greater and lesser cities
of the United States.
Viewed from the standpoint of the
Capital of beauty, the loss of trees out
of the heart of the business section
is nothing less than calamity.
Possessing what no other city has, in
its widespread tree system, Washing
ton should take every care to preserve
that which makes it unique.
If the growth of automobile traffic
is one of the factors making such de-
struction necessary, it is but another of
the points to be checked up against the
motor car, which threatens, in it's un-
paralleled spread. to turn into great
monster which will destroy itself.
Word from London shows that in
that great city the authorities are at
a standstill, wondering what to do, in
their attempt adequately to meet the
traffic problem.
Here the increasing number of auto
with trees among the victims of
progress. And progress it is, let there
be no mistake about that. The pity
of the thing is that such progress
cannot devise some way of keeping
such trees, perhaps by a system of
parking similar to that used on Mary
land avenue. Ce.
1T would obstruct the view. of an
tomobilists," comes the cry.
Well, now. that would be too bad,
X X
When q tree falls it carries with il
so many years of growth, so manv
memories Of beauty, so much of human
effort which kept it alive so long. that
It's destruction is attended by real sor-
row in the hearts Of many.
That such persons are fools. or
not numerous, would be a hard thing
to prove. AS I have said. if is IareaiSS
from which point one views the mat,
ter maj
One of the recent thunderstorms
smote to the ground a big linden
standing on T street between 36thS
and 37th' streets. After the thunder
and lightning ceased, and the rain
had stopped, the children on the
block. went out to view the fallen
monster. They had gay time nIaya
ing in the branches which a few mo-
ments before only the birds couId
have reached.
But their elders saw more than a
fallen tree. They saw the foresight
of Cliff Lanham and his predeces-
sors gone for naught, in the case of
this tree, and they wondered how
many other cases there were similar