Evening star., 1927-05-02
Commercialism Opposed
Suggestions Are Made for Fu-
ture of Sixteenth Street.

|
To the Editor Of The Star:
! A most interesting article in the
| Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post
| (April 9, 1920 describes our National
| Capitol as 'Nobody's Capitol Ia
| Capitol degenerated into an architec.
tural and scenic hodge -podge." A sug-
/ gestion is given that the figure of
| Grief at the foot of the Capitol
! should be dubbed as follows;
| This statue is erected to symbo-
| lize the sorrow of a Nation for the
| beauty that has been lost to the Ma
tons Capitol and the people of
| America"
Let us still be cheerful in the fact
| that the pendulum of affairs having
| struck low now swings easier to
corresponding height
| The burning question is, who and
| what is to blame for turning the
town over. not to commercialism,
whose interests are identical with our
own, but to exploiters rampant?
| The modus operandi of the city ex-
| pIoiter is to turn an avalanche of
huge commercial trucks and busses
on the section to be exploited.
| Bedlam let loose finally sells out.
| They are now trying that same
game on the Meridian Hill section
| bedlam again let loose, difficult to
cross the street alive, plasteiing and
house foundations quivering, ear split
! ting, religion tottering and threats
| that Sixteenth street will in future be
a noisy, commercial thoroughfare.
| Such kind advice about Sixteenth
street "a future permanent CONNER
cial thoroughbred had the desired eff
feet on the British embassy. They
| together with three of the former
British Ambassadors, had planned to
| build on Meridian Hill. The Eng
| lish are already living on noisy
commercial thoroughfare, and here
was an apparent choice of jumping
so to speak, from the frying pan into
| the fire. In other words, they flew
to another location.
! OF course, affairs are already much
changed on the Meridian Hill section
in that delays caused by the new
corner lighting system has turned
much traffic to the quicker transit of
side streets. But the trucks are still
there.
The conceit of the trucking frater.
nifty is beyond conception. Tt takes it
| for granted that huge motor traffic
| vehicles, the kind belonging to rail-
ways, can long be turned loose on
asphalt pavements for which taxpay-
ers pay the damages. Such will in
| future go on commercial railways.
| Either that or private home dwellings
will in future be but relics of the
past--that is, if our Capitol is to
remain "Nobody's Capitol"
| There is plenty of room in town for
| both permanent home dwellers and
necessary commercialism. Say half
of the town for both
That magic name of "fatherland"
| implies more than a high-up apart
ment. 1t implies parents of children
| in real home. however small or
palatial. 1t implies a bit of land sur
rounding; also a touch of g. garden;
also a dog or two. No other than that
| is the ideal place for bringing up the
kind of children that make for a coun-
trys support and that represent in
time Of need the finest of patriotic en-
| thusiasm.
| The splendid future of Sixteenth
| street is now owing much to its enc
mics. 1t will now become the most
| magnificent thoroughfare in America.
| 1t will be the one and only thorough
| fare of the same length, breadth and
| geographic advantage to select for the
driving of private vehicles and taxis
| only. Parallel commercial streets will
take care of commercial traffic.
| The straight. broad continuation of
| Sixteenth street for several miles be-
| yond the District line ION the way to
Baltimore) will be more than ever eff
| fective.
On reaching the domain Of the
National Capitol fancy an arch on
| that hilltop whence a vista is OBJ
| tanned for several miles down the
streets ample width, edged on one side
with villas, the other side the Rock
| Creek Park.
AS Thomas Jefferson was one of
| the companion advisers of George
Washington in planning for the fu-
ture National Capitol, why not let
| that monumental arch commemorate
Thomas jefferson? He would be
clasping hands. so to speak, with the
monumental shaft of George Wash
| ington, standing on the axis of Six
| teenth street at the other end of the
District line. Again reaching the
| Meridian Hilltop, the vista changes
to the City of Washington itself
The name of Sixteenth street will
be changed again to Avenue Of the
Presidents,
Let us worry no longer about a
''Nobody's Capitol" City planners and
students Of municipal affairs general.
| ly, along with men commissioned by
Congress to study general conditions
OF our District affairs. trend in the
way Of Somebody's Capitol" with a
| background of the greatest and rich
| est country on earth.
| MRS. JOHN b. HENDERSON.