Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-07
Capital Change Urged.
New Plans for City's Develop
ment Held Desirable.
10 the Editor Of The Star:

The founders of the American Ma
tional Capital did not consider the
small area Of 10 miles square made
quate for the special needs of the
United States Government, viz: Public
buildings. residences and necessary
industrial quarters.
George Washington had his dream
OF splendor for a possible future great
American Nation and, taking Paris for
a model. he selected a Frenchman.
Mai. L'Enfant, to carry out a general
plan for the new Capital City.
Here was new Paris--the river
alongside, the surrounding hills, the
every advantage for landscape beauti-
fication and here, through the center of
the town. was planned a new resi-
Dental Champs Elysees-the White
House. the small park, the continue.
ton, a broad avenue leading mile
and half to commanding hill over
looking the town and distant hills be.
vond, and thence onward TO a great
park and the District Line--altogether
a broad central thoroughfare, miles
i'm length. In Paris, the Palace of the
Tuileries, the small park, the contin-
uation "A miles to a commanding hill
overlooking the city, thence on to the
Bots de Boulogne.
Were two such thoroughfares ever
before or since so splendidly planned?
The founders placed the custodian
ship of the America Capital, first, in
Congress, and second, in control Of
Congress. the Government for the Dis.
trict OF Columbia.
How have these trusts been guarded?
To copy Paris and other great world
capitals requires more than an outline
plan.
Some changes of policy for our Cap
ital City would now seem desirable.
Instead Of regarding Washington as
a CAPITAL City belonging to all Amer
lea, let there be less consideration of
Il as a field for individual spectators
to feed on.
There also would seem to be an
antagonism to home builders on ac'
count of scant care given them for de-
STABILITY. enjoyment and permanence.
Let us stop the insertion of tall build
ings among home belongings, thus cut
ting off sun, air and pecuniary values;
let us have no more buildings on tri-
angles; let us conflne commercial
trucking to streets industrial; let us
save the beauty of suburbs.
From a purely commercial point of
view, do speculative policies pay?
What are the enormous revenues that
4
from home seekers and tourists?
We may understand that fully half
OF a model Capital town is appor-
toned to industrial needs and that the
industrial part of town is equally at
tractiye for it's beautiful buildings.
parks and statues. This is exemplified
by the Avenue de TOpera and all the
other Grand Boulevards" of Paris.
and which also in all probability will
be exemplified by Pennsylvania avenue,
where the new buildings Of the future
will not exceed in height that of our
public buildings; also, still copying from
foreign model capitals. residences
should be Of one height. establishing a
skyline; also remembering that they
are not only planned for single hab-
itation, but for apartments which on
the Champs Elysees are the most
beautiful in the world. Let US also
understand that Paris needs for its
central thoroughfare Champs Elysees,
a driveway for private vehicles and
taxis only-a feature much enjoyed
by all.
And now several of our largest and
richest American cities have been COM
pletely turned over to speculation mot
commercialism). thus making home in
terests intolerable. The irate home.
seekers. for protection and assured
permanency as we'll as beauty, are
spending their millions for homes
elsewhere. For the evident reasons OF
want of protection and assured
permanence, they avoid Washington
Washington, the center for worldwide
interests, its perfection Of Winter eli
mate, its social advantages in the way
of statesmen, diplomats, scientists. lit
terateurs. and for it's wide avenues
and scenic beautyi
What would it mean to commercial
lists were Washington like Paris and
Rome, the mecca for home seekers?
Is it too late to glorify Sixteenth
street astwell as the rest of residential
Washington?
A hundred times No.-with Con-
gress as a backing. If Mussolini can
now manipulate Rome to return to it
the splendor and fame of old. and If
Louis Napoleon could SO manipulate
Paris that il became more than ever
the queen national city of the world,
so, with due understanding, Uncle
Sam may start, what in his widest
flights of oratory he so often declares,
to make Washington the most beau
tiful Capital in the world
And then, again, does not all Amer
lea need one town permanently fit for
people to live in?
MRS. JOHN B. HENDERSON.