Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-24
BiCentenniaI Com mission
Meets at White House
to Make Plans.
MORE 0RNAMENTATION
IS MADE POSSIBLE
Special Committee Authorized TO
Prepare for Great Celebra-
tion in 1882.

The lower, or Potomac River, route
was officially selected today for the 200
loot Memorial Highway from the Vir-
ginia end of Arlington Memorial Bridge
to Mount Vernon, at a meeting in the
White House of the George Washington
Bi-centennial Commission. presided over
by President Coolidge.
Government engineers from the Bu-
ruea of Roads of the Department of
Agriculture laid before the commission
plans indicating that the river route
would cost about 100000 less than the
upper" route, which had been suggested
along the line of hills above the river.
Congress has authorized an appropri-
alton of $4,500,000 to build this road.
ana mas already appropriated So 5000
OF this amount. The saving in cost
possible by adoption of the river route
Will enable the Commission to spend
more money than had been anticipated
In the ornamentation and general beau
t1fication of the road and it's connec-
tionS.
Committee Is Authorized.
The Commission authorized tn.
President to appoint special commit
tee OF f1ve members to formulate plans
for definite Nationwide celebration
OF the 2OOth anniversary of the birth
OF George Washington in 1882. when it
Is proposed that the Mount Vernon
road shall have been completed.
Upon suggestion made by Mrs. John
d. Sherman, member of the COM
mission, resolution drawn by Mrs.
Anthony Wayne Cook was adopted.
providing tor special commission of
three members to be selected by the
President to consider the tentative plans
of the National Wakefield Association
and OF government engineers looking
toward restoration of WaShington's
birthplace at Wakefield, Va, and its
conversion into national shrine.
In approving the river route for the
Memorial highway. the commission
made the condition that the plans for
the construction work shall be approved
by the Secretary of Agriculture, and
that he shall have procured or shall
have satisfactory assurance of procuring
tl1s necessary right of way therefor. in
Guiding parking. and shah have entered
into arrangements or agreements salts
factory to him with the councils of any
city or town or the board of supervisors
of any county in the State of Virginia
through which said Memorial highway
will pass, respecting the control traffic
on said Memorial highway and upon
highways or streets which will interSect
the same, and respecting the coming and
control OF the use which may be made
of property adjacent to said Memorial
highway.
Ford Is Absent.
Nearly all of the members of the
Bi-centennial Commission attended the
meeting this morning. There were sew
eral notable exceptions, however, for
among the abSentees were Henry Ford
and Col. Hanford MacNider. Senator
FesS of Ohio. vice chairman of the COM
mission, presided during brief period
when President Coolidge was absent
from the room.
The Senate is represented on the
commission by Senator FesS, Senator
Capper of Kansas. Senator Glass of
Virginia and Senator Bayard of Della
ware. The House members of the COM
mission are Representatives TilSon of
Connecticut, Hawley of Oregon, Garner
of Texas and Byrns of Tennessee.
Mrs. Cook is former president gen.
eral of the National Society of the
Daughters of the American Revolution,
and was selected to serve on the COM
mission as the representative of that
organization.
The act of Congress under which the
Memorial Highway will be constructed
provides that the work shall be done
under the direction of the Secretary
OF Agriculture with the cooperation of
the Washington Bi-centennial Com
mission. of which President Coolidge
is the head.
Plans were outlined to the commission
today by Government engineers of the
Department of Agriculture for connect
ing the highway with the park system
of Washington and the surrounding
territory. The plans call for one of
the most ornamental roads ever built
in this or any other country, with
shade trees on the sides and appro-
pirate parking spaces.