Evening star., 1928-03-18

| structures with which 1t comes into iux-
| Imposition disturbs ones sense Of At
| ness
mo portion of the task set before
the commission has required more study
and extended consideration than has
the solution of the problem Of devising
an appropriate setting for the Monu-
ment and the treatment here proposed
Is the one which seems best adapted to
enhance the value of the Monument it-
self Taken by itself. the Washington
Monument stands not only as one Of
the most StupendouS works Of man. but
also as one of the most beautiful Of
human creations. Indeed. IL Is at once
50 great and so simple that II seems 70
be almost work Of nature Domirat-
ing the entire District Of Columbia, il
has taken place with the Capitol and
the White House as one Of the three
foremost national structures"
Chairman Moore OF the Commission
oi Fine Arts has urged President Cool
tdSe 10 direct that the dirt removed
from the excavations for the Govern
ment buildings in the triangle be placed
at the base OF the Monument to form
the suhStructure on which the granite
base OF the gardens will rest. Engineer.
ing studies made by experts OF the Ar
ltngton Bridge Commission have devel-
ored that no harm will come TO the
base OF the great shaft In case the gar.
dcnS are placed en- ground adjacent
to the Monument.
Through the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. the 4cS acres
comprising the Mount Hamilton and
Hickey Hill tracts immediately east ci
BladenSourg road and north Of Benning
road are now heins purchased and there
is every assurance that great botanical
park and garden area TO balance OF the
Geological Park III the northwest sec.
tion Of the city Will be established cy
1892. This project IS one OF those that
seem certain " creation by the bicen-
tennial year,
THE George Washington Memorial
Building, begun many years aSc by
committee Of Washington citisens aS
a memorial IL the First President, IN
the Mall. is in somewhat nebulcaS
state and II Is almost certain that II
cannot ne completed by 1892. The
foundations for the block square str,ie-
tore are As they were laid before the
war, when private parties raised Seyera,
hundred thousand dollars, but the pua,-
w "NS hsNAtCQ Nv taNA Nk t0tiSS ksAtNN
thiS project has taken new life with the
ptupSSal Of a professional money raiser
"a gather tundS nom private sources tor
It's completion ON percentage ssAslS,
nut nothing has been done about a.
The project for turning Wakefield
over 10 the Nation aud the State W VIZ
s'nia aS another national WaSnlnsten
Mhflne has assumed far ulore CONF rete
aspectS, and everything points to at
least partial establishment cf Wakefield
as Washington memorial hy the hi-
eentenn,al year
army engineers nave arawn un a
pan TOR restoration ~ Wakenala
whtch Is nov almeSe waste, where
once the old manor house af the father
M washington Stocd INLAY the cld
graveyard Is In rcNr c<i,ditian, and the
mN memorial 90 commemorate the
birthplace N the great American Is \
stene shaft erected ny the state, Part
M the old homestead attn remains,
guarded ny cayetaker
Members cf the Ricvntennial Gut
mission have been deeply impressed hs
the natural beauty I the SPOT, IS
miles down the Potomac, where George
Washington t,rst saw the llsht OF day,
and see IN COLLABORATION fcF les yestora-
ton possibilities for extending modern
means at travel ta the Soefs N ina
tehaeilitated birthplace,