Evening star., 1925-02-27
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES L. TRACEWELL.

Washington has a judiciary Square,
why not Literary Square?
Everywhere the visitor finds statues
of warriors, men who helped make
and save the republic, and this Is as
1t shuold be- do not believe we have
too many such memorials
But certainly the great literary
States are not remembered here as
they ought to be. Aside from a very
few statues, such as that to Long
fellow on Connecticut avenue, the
writer's of America are not brought to
mind as one strolls the streets.
Yet the pen is mightier than the
sword" 1t has been said In any
event, the pen Is mighty. Especially
In this Federal City is this exempli-
ned. Surely the National Capital
should have public statue to the
memory OF Harriet Beecher Stowe, for
instance.
or the newer portions of the District.
where circles and small parks are ant
to be few, would be in Itself a grace
Iul testimonial on the part of the
congress OF the United States to all
the writer's, great and near-great,
VINO nave done their part toward
aklng the couprty famous.
Such square might have in 1t
heroic statues to the chief literary
lights of past days, with the minor
writer's remembered in inscriptions or
small tablets. Space ought to be left
Ior the inclusion OF memorials to
writer's of today, who In the futurs
VIII De admitted to be as great as
their illustrious predecessors.
Literary Square would nrova an In
spiration not only to the children and
others who might walk there. but
also TO the writing fraternity, prob
aply the most sensitive group Of peo-
ple-America articulate.
X 4 x
The idea for Literary Square came
70 me upon reading letter from
Jesse Jonathan Haas of this CITY. in
the course OF which Mr.. Haas suR-
gested that there ought to be erected
statues here OF Walt Whitman and
Edgar Allan Poe, facing each other. "
Mr.. Haas said: Permit me to thank
and congratulate you on your most
beautiful story OF our Grey Poet
such articles are OF more real value
than the tarin-price of wheat
jazz-and police stories that take SO
much space in today's news.
have read and studied Walt
whitman hince 1s95-and have be-
fore me the David Mckay edition YOU
mention Copyright 1900, and pur-
chased in 1s02-also many clippings
lVoth anniversary photos etc
There Is one verse that I love to
quote, viz, I think 1 could turn and
live with animals, they are so placid
and self contained. l stand and look
at them long and long etc Perhaps
no greater philosophy in all literature
than within his pages If men would
seek
ITO think that this country has
produced two great poets-Poe and
whitman. II we never did anything
else 1t was worth while-Poe, the
poet Of beauty blue white dia-
mond, fiawless in his matchless scin-
tillations; Whitman, the poet of truth,
usefulness, in its startling statements
burning like coal to dazzling white
ness
Poe, the Observation-Disclosures, the
coal-both carbon-one teaches
beauty-things to admire Qike the
diamond), the other teaches life and
the stores of coal, its formation to
the great purpose Of man.
who knows whether to rank Whit
man above Poe, or Poe above Whit
mani can't-you can't-time alone
will tell. These two men should
have statues in this city facing each
other, for their names will live when
great generals of battles are for
gotten.
Like Sapho"-a fragment OF Poe
and Whitman will mean more in the
ages to come than all the money of
steel and ore. May 1 appeal to you
to keep up these stories OF literature.