Evening star., 1928-05-04
Washington Improvements
Are Rapidly Taking Form

From the New YORK Tunes.
Hardly a month goes by without an
nouncement of some new step in the
development of plans for the beauti-
flcation Of Washington. The great
public buildings program naturally
moves slowly. but it will soon be def
nitely under way. The bridge across
the Potomac from the Lincoln Memo
rial to Arlington Is already taking
form. AT one end Of it the matchless
memorial itself is finding an ever more
exquisite setting in cherry. box and
pool AT the other end the Secretary
Of War is busy with plans for fitting
monument at the tomb of the Unknown
Soldier. The Mall viii soon come into
its own. An occasional obstacle arises,
and the ultimate plan is sure to fall
short Of that perfection which is the
dreamerS delight. but If L'Enfant him.
self were alive today he would have to
admit that the Federal City is making
real progress toward the substantial
realization of his vision.
The latest project relates TO the de-
velopment of the grounds about the
Capitol. On April IL President Cool
idge signed bin creating a "Commis-
sion for the Enlargement Of the Capt.
tol Grounds" consisting of the Vice
President the Speaker Of the House
and number of Senators and Repre-
sentativeS. On April "A they brought
in their report Rather quick work.
They had alternative schemes before
them. One involved Slicing of a cor
ner OF the present grounds 10 make
room for proper approach from the
railroad station. The other, which they
have unanimously approved. affords op-
portunity for a much more spacious
treatment of this area.
The land TO the north OF the Capt.
tol. between 1t and the Union Station.
has long been set apart, at least on
paper, for appropriate integration with
the Capitol Grounds and the Mall. But
the purchase of the property was a slow
business, and the exigencies of war re-
quired the erection of temporary
buildings on the property already ac-
quired. 1t was not until last Summer
that the Government bought in the
last of the lots and set TO work 10 tear
the old buildings down. Under the
plan now recommended, which has the
approval of the Fine Arts Commission
and the National Park and Planning
Commission, a broad avenue Will be
cut through from the fountain in front
OF the railroad station southwest 10
Pennsylvania avenue. and the park will
be extended to the north. Surface
cars will be put In subways so that
they shall not mar the landscape nor
jar the sensitive senatorial ear.
So this beautiful Capital grows in
beauty The Easter pilgrimage to
Washington iS becoming an institution
and the cherry blossoms an increasing
lure. Here Is drive three or four
miles long, with hardly crossing 10
disturb the even. flow Of trafiic, and
yet so quick is the contagion Of warm
Spring afternoon that 1t sometimes
takes an hour To make the circuit, SO
great Is the crush of motors. Some
other phases of the Capitals growth
are not SO encouraging Local real
estate operators are wont 10 lean too
heavily on steam shovelS and second
mortgages, and many OF the outlying
sections of Washington are none too
slightly. There the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, with
It's affiliated boards. has an unusual
opportunity