Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-26
MEDARY EMISSIONS
CAPITAL Of future
Distinguished Audience Told
L'Enfant Plan Still Domi-'
mates City BeautificatiOn.

OF the National Capital Park. and Plan
ming Commission last night told the
distinguished audience of Government
officials at the Chamber Of Commerce
of the United States that 1.-THE majestic
simplicity" Of the IL Enfant plan" still
dominated the great plans now under
way for Identification Of the Capital
through buildings, bridges and parkwayS.
mo city can have dignity, beauty and
distinction" he declared. "or be a great
city In the best sense of the word unless
its every element is an appropriate part
of q greater whole"
Mr. Medary spoke at the meeting
called by Secretary Of the Treasury Mel
Ion for comprehensive report to the
American people on progress of THERE
construction program of this city. 81.
The period of artistic illiteracy7
Mr.. Medary said. governed the devel-
opment OF Washington during the Pc
Rod between the influence Of the
L'Enfant plan and the plan Of 1901,
known as the Mcmillan plan" One no
table example OF the age criticized, he
said. was ''the introduction Of railroad
tracks and stations in the great park
designed by L'Enfant and known as the
Mall"
Shows Lack Of Economy.
1.-THE cost and manner of correcting
this mistake" he said, Illustrate both
the lack of economy resulting from ufI-
guided development and the value to "a
city of the orderly disposition Of its
utilities in their true relation TO a great
basic plan" rc-
While the Mcmillan plan of 1901. he
said had never been ofncially adopted.
Its intrinsic merit has given it force
and carried conviction" Both the Ma
tionai Commission of Fine Arts and the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. Mr.. Medary said, had been
formed since the Mcmillan plan, and
have been governed in their advice and
decisions on all Individual projects by
the relation such projects bear TO the
city as one great unit, es-,.r
The influence Of the L'Enfant plan
was praised throughout Mr.. Medary's
address, which dweit eloquently upon
many. phases of the development of
| Washington. .f 7s.-t
Discussing the cost Of. Government
building, the speaker referred to the
huge plans for the early Capital. which
ne said did not seem extravagant to
Washington and the group Of his adj
Visers who dictated that planr =
Capitol Notable Building.
The Mcmillan plan, nadeain 1900, he
said. rs, after nearly 30 years, only
partly realized. 1t would seem reason
| able, therefore" the speaker recon-
mended, ito anticipate a period of Is
70 90 years IN any comprehensive plans
Tor the future. And In so doing they
should represent the normal annual de-
velopment multiplied by IS or so With
out implying any increase In, normal
average expenditure" s-, 30
Declaring the public mind was sorue-
what confused on the cost Of public
works, he said: I'VE are not ACCUSE
toned to compare the cost of the Capt
toi on the hill. symbolizing the whole
NATION. with the cost of single units III
naval program. or to the thought that
dozen naviesa have been ,hlfiE and
strapped While the Capitol has been
serving the Nation, and that It stands
To-Day as through its whole history. one
OF the notable buildings of the world v
tracing the establishment Of the Fed
eral City as belonging to and Bypifyine
he whole Nation Mr. Meaarv declared
III would seem wise for us to think Of
The Washington Of the future as IL vss
thought Of by its founders and in ali
public works or legislation affecting the
city to have in mind the dignity and
distinction Of its ultimate character as
Natlonal City, distinguished from the
great commercial cities. which Justly
and httingly express their raison d'etre
each IN Its own way"
Washington should not only he the
seat OF the National Government" said
Mr. Medary, but should alsd invite as
us guests the national ORGANIZATIONS
having TO do with the arts and sciences
ana the. cultural and spiritual elements
OF lie. II the Capital is,tos become the
cultural center of the Nation. the hons
ing OF such interests requires the cres-
tion and maintenance Of streets ard
utilities. police and FIRE protection and
many other obligations Of citv pov~
eminent, and 1t would seem as If a nIan
couio reasonably be devised by which
Lne national and local interests could
De aennite!y segregated, permitting the
OaPltaL 70 ptlld as generously as it NAV
Wasn OF tne love OF the whole Nation
~ Mi' no. compncation with the finances
OF the District, reafirrniriQ the original
hope that Washington should never he
come competitor of the connmercisI
ana industrial centers of .tAe country"
Praises L'Enfant Plan.
Praising the L,Enfant plan he said
1t was controlling principle sought To-
gay IN all modern planning and zoning
regulations. D0'''is
Even the great Federal triangle be-
tween Fennsylyania avenue, Fifteenth
ksereet ana the Mall, he said, conformed
70 the original L ,Enfant plan
80. Inc triangle he 6escribedas designed
10 create monumental and effective
separation of B street and PennsvI-
Van1a avenue at the apex of TIE TRAN
gle and to make fitting closure of the
croSs-Wsta from the Mall to the De-
paTtment of,,Justice Building. 1t gives
p facade to Pennsylvania avenue worthy
OF the importance of that thoroughfare
ana creates on B street uart of the
great frame of the Mall enyisioned bv
LEnfant, holding the city back from
the great central motif in which the Ma
tlon'S tributes to Washington and Lin
coin are enshrined as no other location.
however commanding, could enshrine
them. Imagine these same two monu-
ments erected anywhere in the built-up
part OF the city and deprived of their
reverent isolation!
by the application of the principle
that, no matter how important the prof.
ect, II must take its place in the treat
ment OF the whole, 1t has been possible
to make every office in the. proposed
group of departmental buildings not
only serve Its own purpose in the most
emcient way, but do its part in paying
homage to the great central motif of the
city and to the majestic simplicity of
the L'Enfant plan. This treatment
points the way for the location and de-
sign OF such buildings as will be needed
in the future to the west Of the Monu-
ment and for the completion of the
frame on the south side of the Mall"
Wahts Navy Building Removed.
The Navy~apd Munitions Buildings
were criticized as marring the Mall, and
the speaker recommended their removal.