Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-20
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

- waxing up 70 k2iC 4ScPohoAbAASJ Az
owes to succeeding generations In prop
erly authenticating and marking historic
shrines and the backgrounds on
which this Nation won It's place in the
world of nations is being illustrated re-
peatedly these days in legislative action.
OF present tense interest Is the
measure authorizing the Secretary OF
War to make q study, investigation and
survey of the battlefield Of Saratoga,
where in the defeat of Gen. Burgoyne's
forces the Colonial troops made possible
the ultimate freedom of the American
Colonies, insuring the independence OF
the United States and creating . world
power.
Representative Dickstein Of New York
has Just called attention TO an up-to-
date appreciation Of the value OF the
Battle Of Saratoga made by Lieut.. Col.
H. l.. Landers Of the historical section
of the Army War College, who IL en-
gagged in the study of The battlefield OF
Saratoga, preparatory to o comprehen-
sive plan for the proper development TO
make this o national shrine. He says:
I'm all likelihood the War Of 1ndepend-
ence would not have terminated with
success to the new Nation had 1t not
been for the assistance given by France.
This assistance was given only as re-
suit Of the surrender OF the British
Army at Saratoga"
OF interest to every student OF history,
and Of value In giving many who have
not been students the real facts, 10 the
summary of Lieut.. Col. Landers:
The United States declared It's in
dependence on July 4, 1776. Shortly
thereafter this new Nation sent three
commissioners to France - Benjamin
Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee
to negotiate with that country for sup
plies and to effect an alliance. Until
the revolutionists were successful on
the field Of battle France would not
break with England
ION October II, 1777, the Army Of
Lieut.. Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered
A copy OF the articles Of convention was
sent to the American commissioners in
France on October 81, 1777. The news
OF Burgoynes surrender reached France
by o packet from Boston. It 'appar-
emily occasioned as much general Joy in
France wrote the commissioners, as
II 1t had been q victory Of their own
troops over their own enemies, such is
the universal, warm and sincere good
will and attachment to US and our
cause In this Nation
The commissioners urged the French
ministry to act on the proposed treaty.
A meeting was arranged for December
IL, ct which final accord was reached.
As the concurrence Of Spain was neces-
Sary, q courier was dispatched to that
country the following day.
ON February 8, 1778, two treaties
were signed with France, one of amity
and commerce, the other a treaty of al
lance in which 1t was stipulated that in
case England declared war against
France or occasioned Q war by attempts
to hinder her commerce with the
United States, the two countries would
then make common cause.
THE great aim Of that treaty was
declared to be to establish the liberty,
sovereignty and independence, absolute
and unlimited, of the United States rs
well in matters Of government as COM
merce.'"
As q result Of that treaty. Lieut.. Col.
Landers points out, from 1778 to 1881
France furnished money, supplies. ships
the aid of her feet, control Of the sea
was gained by the allied nations in the
Fall Of 1881, and the army Of Corn
wallis was forced to surrender at York
town."
In these days of general motor tour
ing over the good roads of the country,
with most of the American families
looking forward to a trip to Washington
during the bicentennial celebration in
1882, 1t Is timely to realize that George
Washington, himself, was the pioneer
of our great Federal highway system,
and that many of the visitors will ac-
tually travel over . great highway
which he projected.
Thomas H. Macdonald, chief Of the
Federal Bureau Of Public Roads and
chairman of the Highway Education
Board, gives US that authentic informa-
ton. He says: Federal road building
for other than military purposes began
with the National Pike or 'Cumber-
land Road said to have been the
original conception of Gen. Washing
ton. On March 2S, 1906, President
Jefferson signed the bill appropriating
$500 for q preliminary survey, and
actual work was begun not long after"
Some time ago at the suggestion Of
Newton d. Baker, wartime Secretary
of War. Representative r. Walton
Moore of Virginia, who Is considered
an authority on historic Virginia,
started an inquiry as to the origin OF
the name Of the Wakefield place in
Westmoreland County, Va, where Gen
Washington was born, and which Is
now being restored In preparation for
the bicentennial celebration In 1882 Of
Washingtons birth.
Finding that within q few miles OF
Sulgrave Manor there Is a Wakefield
House" in the village of Grafton, he
believed that the name might have been
taken from that. But correspondence
with the Rev. Isham Longdon OF the
county In which Sulgrave Manor Is
located, and who Is the author of q
book on the ancestors of Washington,
satisfied him that that idea is untenable.
Representative Moore now has q letter
from C. A. Hoppin, who has written q
great deal on the Washingtons, con-
curing in the conjecture contained In
Sawyer's biography Of Washington, that
following publication OF Goldsmiths
"Vicar Of Wakefield"
Wakefield was built by Augustine
Washington, 1880, and was burned
1880. Mr.. Hoppin wrote Representative
Moore: ct have concluded that William
Augustine Washington, son and heir OF
George Washington's half-brother, Au-
gustine washington, jr., named the
place Wakefield after Oliver Goldsmith 8
book, The Vicar of Wakefield which
became circulated in America at about
the time that William Augustine Wash
ington inherited the estate. There Is
no indication that the estate was ever
called Wakefield until after Gold
smiths work became read In Virginia.
The same William named other sections
of his land Haywood and 'Blenheim,
while other sections were called Whit
lew Laurel Grove Duck Hall and
Bleak Hail."
An interesting ceremony occurred last
week. when the residence, at 1901
F street northwest, of Representative
Robert Bacon of New York, whose
brother, Gaspar Bacon, Is president OF
the Massachusetts, State Senate. was