Evening star., 1925-01-11
CAPITAL TO BOAST
GREATEST THEATER
Fifty-Year Dream of Ade-
quate Facilities for Great
ThrongS Realized.

washington's dream for fifty years,
conceived in the desire to give the
Capital City of a great Nation facil-
tiles for handling and accommodate
ing great conventions and gatherings
coming to this city, will become a
reality January II, when the Wash
ington Auditorium, largest theater of
it's kind in the world, will open its
doors to the public.
While not classed with the Madi-
son Square Garden of New York or
the auditoriums of Chicago and other
cities, which are larger but lacking
in the facilities for theatrical enter
tainmentS which the local building
provides. the Washington Auditorium
nevertheless will seat 5000 comforta-
bly, in its theater proper, or 500 more
than the Hippodrome of New York,
which heretofore has been unriyaied
as the worlds largest theater.
Washington began to talk years
and years ago of the need for an
auditorium extensive enough and
pretentfous enough to care for the
conventions and meetings, interna-
tional gatherings and national as
semblageS coming to this city. 1t
was not until about three years ago
that practical plan was formulated
10 provide such structure.
Robert y. Harper Leader.
Robert y. Harper, leader in the
project from the outset, was chosen
president of the Washington Audi
Torium Corporation, which became
the vehicle for putting the plans into
practical execution. Charles j. Co
lumbus, secretary of the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, was
selected Is secretary, and c. J. Cooke
Ter, treasurer Officials of the local
trade bodies and of scivic organiza-
tions were active in the corporations
launching of the movement to raise
the funds necessary for the erection
and equipment of the auditorium.
Possibly the outstanding feature of
the corporations management of the
financing operations was that there
were no paid officials at the outset
and until year ago not n single Off
Cial on salary. There was no ffnanc-
ing charge. About 900 all told rep
resents the organization cost and ex-
penditures.
During the summer of 1922 the land
at Nineteenth street and New York
avenue. destined TO become the site
for the building. was purchased. In
September 1922, agents Of the corpor-
alton made a trip to the District
Building and obtained a building per
nit From that time until today
work of construction has been going
on steadily.
The financing arrangement also
was novel in Washington. 1t was de-
Cided not to ask for contributions, but
to make the Washington auditorium
a possibility for investment by men
moved by dual consideration of civic
interest in Washington and personal
benefit by investment.
Plan Works Satisfactorily.
This worked satisfactorily. Half
of the cost of the structure was to
be represented in bonds. the remain
der in common stock of the corpora
ton The original financial outlay
was estimated at 100000, of which
100000 was to be covered by first
mortgage 6 per cent bonds, and S400,-
600 in common stock. So well did
this plan succeed that today with the
building ready to throw open its
doors. close to $T50,000 has been
raised, and, according to President
Harper there has never been a
single financial demand made that was
not met.
Original plans have been amplified
10 the point where when completed
the total cost will amount to close
TO a million dollars, S965,0O0 to be
exact. This viii include the 100000
organ to be placed in the building
which is expected to pay for itself
AS the building work progressed
so did the collection Of pledges, ac-
cording to President Harper, so thai
at no time was there any fear felt
for the financing by ready cash of the
venture at wide margin.
The building itself upon its opening
1,
the state which it may sometime
reach. Although moulded plaster has
been set in. and the walls and ceiling
adorned with natural architectural
attractions, there will be no paintings
gliding or decorating on a wide
spread scale. This may be attained
at a future date, but the opening
night will find the auditorium in con-
dition to show without adornment
the real architectural characteristics
of the building.
Wide Range of Vision Assured.
Only two columns rise from floor
TO ceiling in the whole auditorium
giving a wide prospect of vision tC
spectators. The roof is supported by
huge steel trusses of the type used
in railroad bridges, with strength
and endurance, securely riveted tC
steel columns surrounding the build
Ing.
The largest single unit, of course,
is the theater, with balcony and stage,
in which 5000 can gather to listen to
opera, view great productions or at
tend big conventions. Next in point
of size is the exhibit hall, for which
the entire first floor is set aside, con-
tanning $4,000 square feet of floor
space, with arrangeme ments for day
light Illumination Adjoining this
hall is a space which may be used