Evening star., 1928-11-04

dition to the National Academy Of
| Sciences, when the time is ripe. and
ground is now available for this ex-
pansiop adjoining the present build
ing. The American Pharmaceutical As
sociation is arrangoing TO erect build
ing west of the National Academy OF
Sciences and this win cost about $780,
600.
Describing the plans for this "Tri-
angle Of the Amenities" rs he terms 1t,
Mr.. Moore says We speak OF the new
public buildings of the Triangle, mean
ing the area south OF Pennsylvania
avenue from the Capitol to the Treas
ury. There the workers Of the Govern
ment will be housed in healthful, con-
venient and stately structures. Here
In the area where Constitution Hall
will stand at the back OF Memorial
Continental Hall is another triangle
significant part of which this new
building will become. It Is OF supreme
importance that nothing be allowed to
mar this triangle now in the making.
1t should become the Triangle of the
Amenities. 1t should express the soul
of the National Capital. To the few
this triangle is as yet vision; to the
majority it is unknown and unthought
of; to some, alas, 1t is an opportunity
to capitalize national beauty for private
gain.
when the project of the National
Academy of Sciences building came up,
the Commission of Fine Arts appealed
to Elihu Root, whose foreSighted
experience and determined persuasive
ness have won decisive victories for the
plan Of washington. The Sciences
building the commission tlod him,
should be a portion of the frame OF the
Lincoln Memorial, as Memorial Con-
tinentel Hall and its kindred buildings
form a frame for the Presidents Park.
It needed only the suggestion. There
the building stands today, fitting
part of that line of public or semi
public buildings and gardens destined
to extend from the Pan-American
corner to the Rock Greek Parkway-the
elimination of a triumphal thorough
fare leading down from the Capitol and
westward to the Potomac. B street, to
be rebuilt on monumental lines. is the
base of this new triangle south of New
York avenue. The extension of the
Corcoran Gallery, the contemplated
third building for the Red Cross. an
administration building for the Pan
E:::-@;ican and this auditorium are all
parts of this new triangle.
MUCH 10 De OnuOHGs
plans are but guides They are
carried out by persons. In the creation
of this new triangle, knowledge and
determination will be required. There
is much to do; there is much to undo.
Those officials who used the World War
as an excuse to invade Potomac Park
with enormous utilitarian buildings, AS
permanently built as marsh lands would
permit. are now beyond the reach OF
personal reprehension. Ours the respon-
sibility to undo their work-to raze the
buildings themselves and to remove the
open-air garage that cuts into, mutt
lates and diStortS Potomac Park. BY
tolerating those factory buildings and
that daily automobile storage, insolently
crowding up to the very steps of the
Memorial, We diShonor the memory of
Abraham Lincoln and degrade the most
beautiful building created since the
days of the Parthenon. No other people
would tolerate such sacrilege.
twenty-five years ago only the new
Corcoran Gallery faced the Presidents
Park: now Memorial Continental Hall,
the Pan American with its Old World
gardens and the Red Cross complete
group which that lover OF architecture,
Lee of Fareham, calls the
finest anywhere. Today it seems in
that less than 90 years ago
that potent personality affectionately
known as Uncle Joe Cannon opposed
the location of the Lincoln Memorial
on its present site, with the plea that
it would shake itself down with ague
and loneliness. Thanks largely to the
persuasive persistence Of President Taft
the plan prevailed. AS the beautiful