Evening star., 1926-10-07
MOORE OUTLINES
CAPITAL PLANS
Tells Association of Oldest
inhabitants City VIII Pro- .
greSS Much in 10 Years.

A picture Of a new Washington
dominated hy a macnifcent plaza
running from the Capitol to the Lin
coin Memorial. along which will stand
the edifices which house the work of
the Government, was drawn by
Charles Moore, chairman of the Com
mission Of Fine Arts, in an address
before the Association of Oldest In
habltantS last night at the old engine
house at Nineteenth and II streets.
Reviewing the delineation of the
main streets and avenues. and outlin-
ing the rectangular street plan laid
down by Maj. Pierre Charles Len
fant in the eigh, eenth century, Mr..
Moore paid tribute to the wisdom of
the famed French engineer. on whose
plan Washington is now developing,
and to the foresight and perspicacity
of the men who worked with Senator
Mcmillan at the beginning of the
present century toward modification
of the L'Enfant plan along lines made
necessary because of depart ureS from
the early scheme Henry l.. Bryan,
vice president of the association, pre-
sided.
Would Clear Area.
Looking into thu future physical
aspects of the city. Mr.. Moore said
the area between Third and Sixth
streets along Pennsylvania avenue
and south OF that thoroughfare needs
cleaning up to bring it into line with
the better developments farther west
and to prepare the way for Mall de-
velCpment. The Mall part of the Wis
ion of L'Enfant, and a continued
plan under the Mcmillan scheme, Is
to be left entirely free of unsIghtly
BUILDINGS and be rid of encroachments
on its vista as broad, sweeping plaza
running for nearly two miles from
the Capitol building to the lAncoln
Memorial.
Changes in Washington within the
next decade, Mr.. Moore said, will
bring home to the minds of those
familiar with the present city now
succeeding years will mold and
change the city of the future. tie
added that although many changes
have come to Washington in the past
decade those in the next lO years
will be even more startling. asserting
that Mall development is the central
factor to be reckoned with.
In 10 years there will be an en-
tirely new Washington, Mr.. Moore
said. New editices will take the
place of some of those now on the
MAI, ana OIneGS VIII ut Dulll VII oilNo
now occupied by buildings not suited. y
Mr.. Moore declared that Washing
ton. as the seat of the Federal Gov
ernment, is a city which should be
kept for Government establishments
and its central portion kept free from
activities of commercial character.
Mr. Moore referred only briefly to
the development of the city outside
of the original area comprised in the
LEnfant plan, but declared that steps
should be taken to preserve the
natural beauty spots around the city,
which may be absorbed and lost in
building developments.
Six Seek Memberships.
The Lincoln Memorial, he said, is
by far the most impressive structure
of it's kind in the world. Its setting,
on the banks of the Potomac, and the
manner in which it's approaches have
been situated. he said, place it with
out peer among the famous
memorials of the world. Mr.. Moore
was one Of six who applied for men,
bership in the association last night.
One new member was admitted.
Members of the association dis
cussed at some length the circum-
stances surrounding the escape of
John Wilkes Booth from the Ford
Theater the night President Lincoln
was shot. The matter arose in con-
nection with sale of Army stables
back Of the theater.
Booth, according to statements
made last night, did not own a horse
and hired the horse on which he es-
capped. from the vicinity of the theater
from man named Humphrey, who
kept livery stable on G street be-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets.
Booth had been in the habit of hiring
horses from Pumphrey for some time
before the night he shot Lincoln.