Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-27
No Memorial to Washington
Could Be as Appropriate,
He Asserts.
DELAY TO BE COSTLY,
SPONSOR DECLARES
Power Lobby" Is Assailed by Him
in Calling Attention to Great
Falls Project.

VA Tie DICeuLeuIlldl Oh MS DlrCn III 1889
would be so appropriate as the creation
Of the George Washington Memorial
Parkway on both banks of the Potomac
which he loved, from Mount Vernon
where he lived, through the capital,
which he founded, and on to Great
Falls, where he worked" Representative
Cramton declared today in the House
Mr.. Cramton made the statement in
explanation of his bill authorizing inn
mediate appropriation of $23,OO0 900
from the Federal Treasury-$16,00o,O0 900
to be used in the District of Columbia
and 100000 in the States of Mary
land and Virginia-to acquire park sites
and to preserve the scenic beauty of the
river banks. The bill is to come up in
the House on Thursday under special
rule from the House rules committee.
Delays Would Be Costly"
"All delays will be costly In the loss
of scenic values, and now is the time
for Congress to insure the preservation
Of those very essential and scenic assets
of the National Capital" said Repre-
sentative Cramton.
by Presidents Coolidge and Hoover and
other national leaders is, Washington
must be the most beautiful city in the
world" and said that the program of
construction and development now un-
der way is challenging the attention
Of the world" In money, 1t will reach
more than $500, 100000, he said, to be
expended in the next few years by the
Federal and District governments and
various national organizations.
1.-THE most beautiful city will not be
entirely man-made city," Representa-
tive Cramton stressed. ut must be
favored with scenic and natural adj
vantages. Washington located the Ma
tional Capital here because of its un-
usual scenic advantages in hills and
ravines, rivers and waterfalls, woods,
flowers and bird life To insure the
preservation of the most essential areas,
Congress created six years ago the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission to take charge of a program
that would conserve these natural
beauties" He called attention that
leaders drawn from the whole Ma
ton" comprise this commission, land
the plans they have now developed not
only have the cordial support OF ON
Gals and people of the District of Co
lumbia and the States of Maryland
and Virginia, but of the people Of the
Nation"
Palisades Are Being Blasted"
He warned his colleagues that failure
to carry these plans into effect will
mean the loss of some of the most es-
sential features of the landscape sur
rounding the National Capital without
which Washington of the future will
lose much" He declared that "the
Palisades of the Potomac are daily being
blasted, serious industrial encroach-
ments threaten, wooded areas are being
destroyed and power interests have
seriously urged replacement of the
unique and outstanding natural beauties
of Great Falls and the gorge OF the
Potomac with man-made reservoirs of
much more commonplace, artificial
beauty"
Representative Cramton called the
attention of his colleagues to the fact
that power interests have been lobby
Ing for several weeks at the CAPITOL
for defeat or delay of this important
park legislation on the ground that it
would forever prevent any navigation
or power development at Great Falls"
He quoted Frederick Law Olmstead
that "the dedication of this area for
park purposes is in the interests and
for the enjoyment of all citizens of tn
United States to whom the National
Capital is proud heritage"
Prompt Enactment Is Urged.
Prompt enactment of the Cranton
bill, he urged, would give the Nation
control of these areas, and Congress
will have full authority to pass any
legislation hereafter found to be in the
national interest as to navigation or
nnuyQr nnUnInfNV11nNNf ol~kS
twice has been unanimously reported to
the House by the committee on public
buildings and grounds, which has in
itiated all the necessary legislation now
In effect for development and beautifi-
cation OF the National Capital, and they
have pronounced this DEVELOPMENT a
necessary feature of that DEVELOPMENT.
The American Society of Landscape
Architects, during its recent convention
mere, Mr.. Cramton told his colleagues,
personally inspected the gorge and
pallsaoes and Great Falls Of the Po-
tomac and by resolution urged the ma
tional significance of these projects and
the beneficial effect on the future of
the National Capital. The American
institute OF Architects. the General
Federation of Women's Clubs the Gar
den Clubs OF America and the Ameri-
can Civic Association, Mr.. Cramton
said, all enthusiastically urge passage
of this important park and parkway
legislation.
Fess Bill Passes Senate.
The Senate today passed without de-
bate the Fess bill providing for the re.
construction of the Highway Bridge in
order to have 1t link with the new
memorial boulevard to be built along
the Potomac from the Arlington Memo
rial Bridge to Mount Vernon. The
Senate approved of the measure a few
minutes after Senator Tess of Ohio ha6
reported it favorably from the COM
mittee.
The bill authorizes those in charge OF
building the memorial boulevard to re-
move two spans from the south end of
Highway Bridge and replace them with
a roadway on filled ground in such A
way as to permit traffic to get from the
bridge to the new boulevard.
The bill also carries authority for the
Government to permit a private firm or
individual to build a restaurant and
refreshment structure near the entrance
to Mount Vernon. The building would
have to be put up without cost to the
United States and at the end of 10
years 1t would become the property of
the Government, subject to q further
n