Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
Friends From Out of Town.

Friends From Out of Town.
Washington owes much to its friends
from out of town. Frederic A. Delano,
the distinguished president Of the
American Civic Association, has re-
counted the activities of three native
sons of Michigan in Capital building.
And those of whom he Spoke-the late
Senator James Mcmillan. Charles Moore
and Representative Cramton-are hon
ored indeed by thus being placed upon
a list of friends of Washington from out
of town. list that begins with the
names of George Washington Of Mount
Vernon, Pierre LEnfant Of France,
Thomas Jefferson of Monticello, and
which has heightened with each sue
ceeding generation of famous men from
every part of the Union.
The community of washington,
politically impotent, taxed without the
reciprocal right to say how much. what
for. or how, has watched these friends
from out of town come and go and has
relied upon them as the men who bear
the grave responsibility OF building the
American Capital. AS silent partner
n the task, the community Of Washing
ton has steadfastly pressed, with its
friends from out of town, for those
things necessary to insure the develop
ment Of the Federal City as the Federal
City, and not, merely, as the home OF
the community.
Thirty years ago, when railroad tracks
cluttered the Mall, the community OF
washington was leading in the tight
that eventually removed them. Thirty
years ago, before there was Potomac
Park, the community Of Washington
was envisioning the time, and pleading
with its friends from out Of town to
hasten the time, when the Mall, con-
Meeting with the future Potomac Park,
would form the extensive and important
} part of the park area that it is today.
Thirty years ago, when Potomac Park
was an undeveloped marsh, when the
railroads, with congressional acquies-
cenoe, had apparently ruined the old
city Mall, when the Long Bridge dam
menaced the city at food time, when
Rock Creek Park was a wilderness and
a trip north of u street was an excur-
sion into the hinterland, the community
of Washington was pointing ahead TO
the day when Rock Greek Park would
connect with Potomac Park, when
boulevard drive would circle the
city on the north from Rock Creek
Park to Soldiers Home, when a
memorial bridge across the Potomac to
Arlington would be rounded out" by a
boulevard to Mount Vernon and when
AnacoStia Park, capable of develop
ment," would be extended into Maryland.
Thirty years ago, when the old CEN
fury of neglect of the Capital was dying,
and a new century OF promise was
dawning, the Board of Trade in its
annual report for 1899, closed with the
plea: LET us of the Washington OF
today, In building up the Nations city
of the second century of its life, emulate
the breadth and boldness in design anc
the vigor In execution which were dis
PLAYED at the end of the last century
and in 1900 by the founders OF the
CAPITAL" And a year later the Board
of Trade foreshadowed in resolutions
the subsequent creation of the Mcmillan
Park Commission, which, with its sue
cessors, has done such effective work.
The community Of Washington has
seen old plans brought to realization
1t has seen old plans recreated as new
plans. 1t has seen old plans open new
vistas of opportunity in future planning
Working hand-in-hand with its friends
from out of town, the community has
paid its Just share, doubly participating
in the building of the Federal City, once
as a community located within the
Federal City, again as a community Of
Americans paying Federal taxes.
Today, as always, the community o.
Washington stands ready to join it,
friends from out of town in carrying tc
completion new plans. 1t asks thess
friends to keep before them the vision
of the Capital of the future; a Capita
symbolizing by its gentle beauty anc
the dignity of its grandeur the spiritua
aspirations of a great people. It ask
them to look upon the community o.
washington as an average American
community of half million inhabitants
paying fair taxes to maintain theii
municipal establishment. And it ask!
them to look upon Washington, with
the magnificent plans for its develop
ment, as the Capital City of grea
Nation
Modern methods Of generating powe
Il