Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01

Inc aStuCe jury IneH pLoCeeueo w
throw the onus of a final choice on to
the nine likellest plans. and the Assem-
bly,, being composed of politicians igno-
rant Of the first rudimentS of architec-
ture, threw the plans into special COM
mittee of five members. The British
nominated Sir Edward Hilton Young,
who is financial expert. britain US
ually finds herself holding the financial
baby in these League affairs)
The committee examined the plans,
called for supplementary reports. con-
suited the Swiss cantonal and federal
authorities, and, being unable even then
to pick any one plan out of the nine
before them, recommended No. 378. the
joint work of M H. P. Nenot of Paris
and M. Julien Flegenheimer of Geneva,
subject to revision by the authors in
collaboration with the authors of three
other designs. namely. Nos. lit. 143
and 431.
The first design of these three was
the work of three Rome men, Broggi,
Vaccaro and Franz; the second had
sprung from the unaided brain of Ca
mille-Lefevre of Paris, while the third
was the fruit of Joseph Vago's genius
potentialitieS for trouble in this sit
uation are obvious.
Large Gift for Library.
But, luckily, the factor Of American
money now entered to help matters.
Since the architects had sent in their
designs Mr.. John D. Rockefeller, jr., had
heard of the project and taken thought.
The result of his cogitations was the
gift of 100000 for a monumental
library. to be added to the League
Palace.
This new gift, accepted by the Assem-
bly, of September, 1927, absorbed good
deal of the dangerously explosive ele-
it was now decided that besides being
brought together to revise one another's
pet plans and principles, the architects
should also handle jointly the library
project and submit preliminary plan.
(The library had also been left out Of
consideration when the question of the
site arose. fact which was presently
to explode with disruptive effect under
the entire scheme.)
The architects duly came to Geneva
Zone man representing the Rome trio)
and were shut up in a room in the
Palace of Peace. What happened in
more than one occasion a tumult Of
enraged voices burst forth to alarm the
occupants OF adjoining rooms and pas
Sers-by in the corridor, and once two
of the architects came to blows. At
last. however. the revised plans were
ready. But now another hitch arose.
The library planning committee, a
committee Of experts looking after the
Rockefeller gift, agreed with the special
committee and the League Council that
the architects plan was the best that
Hnl1Id ha dnnn tho cite hI1f nhiocfod
to the site itself on the ground of its
exposure to noise and dust its made
quate size and the impossibility of pro-
v1ding for future extensions.
Plan Is Jeopardized.
The whole plan for the Leagues new
buildings was thus jeopardized. An
alarmed secretary-general sent out the
S 0 S.; the members of the special
committee hurried from their respective
countries and met in Paris. The prob
lem before it was to find a satisfactory
site for the new library, and the OBJ
viouS solution which presented itself
was the acquisition of additional ground.
BY great good luck. the additional
ground was there. Between the prop
erty owned by the League and that of
the international Labor ONCE on the
lakeside lay quiet estate on which re-
sided an EnglishWoman, a Mrs. Barton,
the widow of the former British consul
general at Geneva, typical member of
the British upper middle class. in the
autumn of her days. It was taken for
granted there would be no difficulty
about buying her OUT and the special
committee dispersed, confident that at
last their troubles were over. They were
optimistS.
Reporting to the Assembly of Sep
TENDER, 1928, the special committee said
1t had made "all possible efforts to ac-
quire the neighboring property, but, in
face of the difficulties which were en-
countered, it was obliged to seek else
where for solution" This dry phrase
ology covers a tale of characteristic
British phlegm which is at once IL
Illuminating, and-when you come to
think Of it-fantastic.
Refuses to Sell.
For Mrs Barton refused to SELL She
sat in her quiet house by the lakeside,
quiet, kindly, polite, gracious, but in
flexible, and held up the so nations and
def1ed the League. She said her hus-
band had built this house. and they had
been happy in it, and she proposed to
end her days therein. She admired the
League, approved of its work. and when
she was dead 1t could have the ground
for nothing But while she lived she
would see all the nations In perdition
before she uprooted for their conven-
fence. Not all the money on earth would
buy her out.
The 500 members of the permanent
secretariat tore their hair. Their
schemes for boating and bathing par
ties, their dreams of romantic walks in
the evening in the lovely privacy Of
their own estate on the magic lake, were
shivering into nothingness like mirage.
The alternative site-if by some as
founding, unthinkable, incredible mis-
chance, the lakeside site fell down
was the Ariane Park on the outskirts
of the town, most unattractive situa-
ton from the viewpoint Of the perma-
nent staff without those lovely private
lakeside walks. without that unique
view of Mont Blanc, with a main line
railway cutting through the grounds.
Some resourceful soul suggested that
perhaps the Swiss government would
appropriate the lady. After all, the
convenience of so nations ought to run
before the whim of an elderly English
woman. The work Of the League =.
and so on.
But the British of Mrs. Barton's class
and kind are the best clients Of the
Suric fhor1 n