Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-14
BY DONALD A. CRAIG.

her proper place in the celebration, In
1892, of the 200th anniversary OF the
birth of the most illustrious Of all her
famous sons.
The Old Dominion is no longer able
70 lay claim successfully to the greatest
Of her sons as hers alone.
George Washington is regarded TO-DAY
not only as Americas tradltlonally
great man, but as one of the great men
of the English speaking race, wherever
it may have established itself all around
the world.
Even more than that--he has been
called "the father of all modern repub-
Ncs." regardless of speech or creed.
That is why New York State recently
suggested. as one of the principal fea-
lures of the 1892 bicentennial celebra-
ton. that an international congress be
held here in Washington. that year, OF
the republics of the world in honor OF
washington's memory.
But for all his greatneSs-even dur
ing the hardships of his career as
commander in-chief of the tattered
Continental Army, and when, as the
new REPUBLICS FIRST President, he was
Iaboring to start the machinery OF Gov
eminent smoothly-George washington
never forgot Mount Vernon, the nome
of which he was so fond, nor AleXan-
dria. Va, his "home town" He ire
uuently wrote home, and he visited
there in person as often as ne couio get
away from his manifold public duties.
Might BE Claimed d. C. Citizen.
In one sense, too, although the Fed
eral CITY was not founded by him until
toward the end Of his life, he might
almost be claimed as citizen OF the
District of Columbia. For apparently
Lee, rNT
and woodland In this section. He roameo
over that part of Maryland from the
time he was a young man, with hunts
mans gun over his shoulder, until ne
became interested in it as an older man
for its commercial future.
1t is no surprise, therefore, to anyone
at all familiar with these facts 10 learn
that Virginia and Maryland-sEter COLO
MES and sister States, separated only by
the Potomac River, which, with the
small boats Of those days, was perhaps
more of q connection than Separa-
4ior-were among the first little group
of IA States and Territories, including
the District Of Columbia, to respond to
the invitations sent out by the United
States Commission, asking all States
and Territories to appoint local bicen-
tennial commissions and plan their in
dividual and collective parts in the year.
long international celebration of George
WaShington's bicentennial.
virginian Sponsored Measure.
II was virginian, Representative r.
the very congressional district in which
Mount Vernon is located, who sponsored
in the House the resolution that created
the George Washington Bicentennial
Commission, which has mapped out
plans for the greatest celebration thus
far known In history"-to use the words
of Senator FesS of Ohio, vice chairman
of the commission, Of which President
Hoover Is ex-oficio chairman. By pro-
fnssion Senator Fess is an educator. He
was formerly college president and has
during all his adult life been q student
of history, so that his opinion in this
instance may be said to have some
weight.
quite appropriately. Virginia. the
on the United States Bicentennial
Commission. They are Senator Carter
Glass and Representative Moore. When
the commission was first created Mr..
Moore was not named, although it
was recognized that he would be a val
liable member, since he has not only
represented the Mount Vernon congress
sional district for many years and been
connected with all the activities on the
other side of the river, but he has a
wide historical knowledge of the period
TO which Washington belonged.
Moore Named TO Commission.
When, early In the present session
Of Congress. q vacancy occurred on the
commission by the resignation of Rep
resentative Garner of Texas, Mr.. Moore
was promptly chosen for the place. 1t
was felt that Virginia was entitled to
two memberships on the commission
one in the House and one In the SEN
ate The geographical reasons which,
in the first place, may have caused Mr.
Moore's name to be left of were no
longer regarded as compelling-quite
the contrary.
Fairfax County and has always lived
IN that county, where Mount Vernon
is located. He has always been inter-
ested In everything that has to do with
the improvement OF the approaches TO
Mount Vernon and sponsored the bill
to construct the Mount Vernon Boule-
ward, one Of the three great permanent
memorials to which the Federal Gov
eminent Is giving its support as part
OF the 1882 bicentennial celebration for
George Washington. Mr.. Moore also
gave his hearty support to the Arlington
Memorial Bridge, from the Virginia end
of which the new boulevard will start
on It's 1874 -mile way along the scenic
and historic Potomac River shore to
Washington's home.
Senator Glass called to the attention
Of The Stars representative that the
great celebration will really start with
the 150th anniversary of the surrender
OF CORVALLIS, at Yorktown, In October
1881. Although this will be largely a
State affair, the National Government
will take an appropriate part in it.
This celebration will, in one sense, be
the overture for the great 1882 bicen-
tennial, which will oficially begin on
February %, 1932-the 200th anniver-
sary Of WaShington's birth-and last
until Thanksgiving day Of that year.
surpass Other Celebrations.
my expectation Is" said Senator
Glass, that the bicentennial celebra-
ton will surpass any celebration In his
tory. Virginia will participate to the
fullest extent in the celebration"
At the present county seat, in the
village of Fairfax, where Representa-
tive Moore resides, ate kept the records
of the Washington and the Mason farni
lies. There In the clerks ONCE Is the
very lengthy will of Gen. Washington,
all in his own handwriting, which, after
the Civil War, was found in a rubbish
heap in the Capitol Building after the
surrender OF Richmond Since then 1t
has been splendidly restored by one of
the best experts in that sort of work.
Mr. Moore pointed out that there is
also in the clerks Office at Fairfax
Court House the will of Martha Wash
ington, which he says was stolen dur
ing the Civil War" Something like Is
years ago, Mr.. Moore was told by a
friend that he had seen this document
in the John Pierpont Morgan Library
in New York. Mr.. Moore then started
an effort to have Il returned to the