Evening star., 1925-01-25

ing has been done in our Capital City to give
more of the thrill of pride, the knowledge
of our ability and power. 1t is an affront to
our Intelligence people and betrayal of
posterity to lower such standards of accom-
plfshment in any phase of the Capitals de-
velopment, to dcker and dabble in petty, Ill
considered planning and to justify such dab
bling by idle talk Of "highbrow stuff" and
common sense" We have produced a great
building by intrusting 1t to at the
head of his profession and indorsed by his
profession for his training and his experience.
great building is but part of a great city
and the complications modern city plan
ming demand similar specialized training. An
American wins the international competition
for the capital of Australia and yet allow
our own National Capital to grow without
the help of any of our great city planners.
Belongs to All the People.
We becoming a travelled people and
from contacts abroad coming
appreciate shortcomings well to
understand advantages AS people,
We are beginning to realize that the Capital
City belongs all. This feeling crystal
lizedllast year in the development all over the
country of Federal city committees sponsored
by the American Civic Association and in the
cooperative action of the City Planning In
stitute. 1t received impetus from the action
of the American Institute of Architects in
proposing a city planning commission
rect the fundamental difhculty-the lack of
committee or
architects has been organized, member in
each chapter of the institute, to work with
other groups for Washington. The American
Society of Landscape Architects has offered it's
assistance and other professional and business
groups getting back of the movement.
1t is not proposed to throw any monkey
wrenches into the machinery to do
again work that has been thoroughly done.
Rather it is intended to offer the services
OF men of the highest caliber in the allied pro-
fesSiOns having do with CitV planning
each having the backing and Endorsement of
his profession the man best fitted for his
part of the work-men of breadth and vision
to grasp their problems and to offer to long
laboring Congress solutions of a permanent
Lesson in Committee Hearings.
That the District of Columbia is in need of
some such stabilizng influence was shown at
the current hearings of the public buildings
bills. Testimony developed the fact that part
of the appropriation intended for Federal
buildings in the District might be shifted to
other points; that there disposition
to accept any Limitation of site intended
furtherance OF the Mall plan, and that au-
thority was asked to close streets if necessary
all factors seriously affecting general de-
velopment plans. 1t was not to be wondered
at that a member of the committee who
conducting the examination look ed longingly
at the picture of the public buildings scheme
hanging in the committee and ejacu-
Nobody knows. I've looked at that picture
for 25 years. 1 wish that you would carry out
the scheme of take the damn thing down"
The technical men Of the country who have
most TO do with the elements of city plan
ming feel just the same way about it. Know
ing Washingtons great possibilities, yet feel
ing its limitations, they want everything done
that's going to be done before destruction of
existing conditions msdirected deyeIop-
ment makes their efforts too late. All cities
come to crisis sooner or later Just as in
evitably as individuals eventually yield to
the dentist, the oculist the surgeon IL
treatment begins in time, the results are less
serious and less expensive. Washington must
have eventually and might just az well have
now, competent and properly qualified BODY
created for the purpose of developing a COM
prehensive plan for the entire District OF
Columbia and It's environs. with co-ordnated
zoning, housing, traffic and Transportation
schools and Fairgrounds, parks and highways
industrial development, forest and farm re-
serves.