Evening star., 1925-01-25
BY HORACE W. PEASLEE
Chairman of the American Institute
Architects' Committee Plan
of Washington and Environs.

T HERE'S another fight on over the
Washington plan. This time It's about
Lafayette Park. The combatants
ganize in armed camps One group
holds for traffic at the price of parks
the other for parks invoate. Each
shals Its arguments Each is a Government
agency. The bystander is bewildered. Is
the traffic demand outra geous the parks
obstacles to progress? How is to know?
There's always some fight Wash
lngton always some interested group to COM
bat or some uninterested group to prod and
frequently there is opposition of Government
tai agencies. Today 1t happens to be this
proposal to tear up this foreground to the
White House Yesterday 1t to other
parks for motor parking At moment
there's hue and cry about the Botanic garden
and the Arboretum. the next about the To-
cation of the memorial bridge. Always there's
discussion about public buildings and their
location. One days paper tells the world
about the shortcomings of the transporta-
tion system; the next of housing shortages
and rent wars; the third of this that fight
launched by this that citizens association
about schools or zoning ordinances
Good Citizens Active.
The man in the street knowa that
thing is wrong and If he is a good citizen
even though he has vote-he forms his
opinions allies himself with side or the
other and his influence toward the end
which he thinks is the correct solution of the
problem. He joins associations and commit
tees and delegations and tries to impress. their
composite views upon the powers that be.
These efforts would make for a satisfactory
solution of difficulties were it not for the fact
that one side in an argument Is always wrong
and. with lay lawyers and lay judges on
technical questions, it sometimes happens that
the best presentation of the case rather than
its technical merit is the deciding factor.
Any that mistakes have ha D.
pened again and again. One does need a
Fine Arts Commission to tell him that the
Navy and Munitions Buildings should not have
been erected the south side of B street
right the Mall roads as long as that
area was to be developed as setting for the
great Lincoln Memorial. One does not need
TO have art jury point out that IL the
frontage of Lafayette Square is scheduled for
executive offices similar the Treasury An
mex, 1T great mistake for the Govern
ment to have sponsored building OF the
type of the Veterans Bureau. The man about
town with his eyes that some
body blundered in allowing the Rock Creek
Valley to be crossed by both bridges and via
ducts. He knows that just as many mistakes
can be made today made yesterday
and because he's good citizen, he does his
bit.
Develops Bit by Bit.
He does than his bit In the aggre-
gate he onsumes enormous amount of time
and energy and money in this voluntary serv-
ice. And therein lies the great trouble with
the National Capital situation-It is developed
bit by bit.
There's a prevailing impression that every
thing has been done for Washington that can
be done in the way of professional planning.
The impression is that the Washington of
today developed from the LEnfant plan,
and polished up with the plan of 1901, and
now Is guided by the Fine Arts Commission.
That is wholly misconcept To be sure
1t started with the LEnfant plan, but that
covered only a sixth of the present District.
The present highway plan is being extended
without the advice of city planner architect
landscape architect-and this, in the Capt.
tai of a nation which has made the greatest
progress in modern city planning. The plan
of 1901 is plan of the park system only and
inadequately has is been supported that but
of the SO park areas recommended have
been acquired; and now, % years later, it is