Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-13
George Washington
Bicentennial Plans

To the Editor of The Star:
The public must have been disap-
pointed at Senator Fess' radio address
on the proposed George Washington
Bicentennial Celebration. According to
the Senator four things have been
the Mount Vernon Boulevard; 60 aid
to the Washington home at Wakefield;
(4) a pageant-or series Of pageants.
A world fair cannot be disired by
the people of this country; but it is
believed that the people would be
pleased to have the world see United
States fair. The Mount Vernon Boule-
ward has been q long-needed highway
and its present proposed construction
has simply been stimulated by the
approaching bicentennial. The public
will be satisfied to know that Congress
is now taking at least as much inter-
est in the Washington Wakefield home
as it took in Mount Vernon. Both of
these enterprises are simply public i'm
proVementS and can be no more credited
to the proposed celebration than the
building and completion Of the new
buildings by the Government, now under
construction; and certainly not more so
than the completion Of the Arlington
Bridge.
What remains then, according to the
Senator, is the pageant" The people
of the Nation are to be welcomed to the
Capital to see pageant" AS usually
understood and seen, pageant Is a
temporary, passing display of decorated
persons and vehicles and a procession
of floats. One may continue for q few
hours and then disappear forever. The
major part of 120,000,000 people are ex-
pected to come from all parts of the
country to witness a procession lasting
a few hours at most! How proud George
Washington should be If he could re-
turn in person, hang over tight rope
and see pageant in his honor!
In this matter the commission GER
tainly has an eye to economy. PageantS
are never given at public expense. The
persons taking part are supposed to
bear the expenses of decorating them
selves and their vehicles and preparing
their floats. Merchants and manufac-
turers and others interested to bring
floats from distant cities for street
parade!
It must be conceded that the Senator
proposed ''series of floatsl" That
must be considered as apologize. And
besides the series" the Senator Sug-
gests that the Government will partake
in the parade to the extent Of having
the Army and Navy join. Still an eye
to economy! It would cost the Govern
ment little more to have the Army and
Navy marching in procession than to
feed them in camp or on board ship.
The Government might, indeed, make a
greater display by having the civilian
employees march. There would be no
extra cost in this and 1t would add
length to the parade. i.
It is unthinkable that the people OF
this country will be satisfied or pleased
with the cheap program proposed. The
country will expect, and may when too
late demand, a showing consistent with
the wealth and standing Of the country.
What the Government should do, with
out doubt, Is to give, In some suitable
form, display that will amply reveal
what has been accomplished in the 200
years since Washington's birth.
It is known that Washington was one
of the few statesmen OF his age who
had vision of the country's future.
The celebration and "show" should be
such that if George could return in the
flesh he could say, 81 told you sol" It
should in fact be big show, as big as
the richest Nation on earth can make.
The people stand ready to back such
move. 1t is believed that there would
not be q murmur at the Governments
use of any sum, reasonable or unreason-
able. Il should be made an opportunity
of showing the world the progress that
the young Nation has made. It should