Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-21
HcENTENNIAL lp[a
CLEARii. OUTLINED
Capper Breakfasts Purposes
lin Honoring Washington
During 1882.

cess, Senator Arthur Capper of kansas
chairman of the Senate District Com
n1ittee, in a radio address delivered to-
day, described the program for the cele-
bration now taking shape under the d.
rection of the commission in charge.
The Kansas Senator is member oil
the commission. He described the great
strides which have been made in Amer
lea since the birth of the first President
and said, in part:
I'm recent years the approach of the
200th anniversary Of Washington
birth became the subject of earnest
discussion among many of our citizens.
The idea of great Nationwide
celebration spread widely and rapidly.
Congress became informed of the neces-
sity for providing an agency to work
out the details of a proper bicentennial
program
Accordingly, in 1924, Congress Gre
ated the United States Commission for
the Celebration of the 200th Ami
versary of the Birth of George WASH
tngton
President Is Chairman.
This commission has 19 members.
The President of the United States
Is the chairman. The Vice President
and the Speaker of the House are ex-
oficio members. Then there are four
House of Representatives. Nine other
members, all prominent Americans, are
on the commission as presidential ap-
pointees
mo doubt there will be pageants. pa
rades and pyrotechnics. Probably the
celebration win include no little oratory.
But the commission is Keeping in mind
the concept of the celebration as ex-
pressed by the late DR.. Charles w.
Eliot, president emeritus of Harvard
University. He was greatly interested
In the plans for the bicentennial, and
he suggested. not long before his death.
that the celebration should be spiritual
in character, rather than materlailStlc.
He felt that it should be directed to the
Younger generation. It should appear
ia the thoughtful persons OF our popu-
Istion II should he planned so as to
add to the number Of WaShington's ad-
rnirers and followers as guide to the
future. 49,. o,,
lone of the most important items con-
adhered bv the commission Is an lnteh-
eive Nation wide campaign to draw the
attention of Americans more closely -
the life OF Washington. Many phases N
this great leaders life are not SO Wen
known as the fable of the cherry tree
Too MANY Americans are content to
agree that Washington was worthy OF
our highest esteem, without stopping 70
inquire into the qualities that mace MN
pre-en1inent.
Essay Prizes Planned.
"CeincidentalIy, the commission Is
etudying arrangements to of1er national
prizes for the best essays on the life and
deeds of Washington
s"And now let me detail some of the
other ways by which the commission
will endeavor to win the attention OF
every one for the celebration.
ION the recommendation of the COM
mission Congress has authorized the
printing of an approved portrait Oh
George Washington for distribution
throughout the country by Senators ana
Representatives, There are also to pc
issued a George Washington map, TO
chow all of the places where Washing
ton lived and visited, and George
Washington atlas, which will include all
the plans in the map and show the
roads and streams which were Travelled
by Washington.
Congress also has approved a plan
for the publication Of definitive edi-
ton of the writings of Washington.
This will Include about 5000 original
unpublished manuscripts written by the
Father of Our Country. There viii also
be published series of books, each
treating of Washington in some phase
of his life-as boy, as an engineer, as
q soldier etc.
aside from all these there are a
number of very fine suggestions for
permanent memorials to Washington in
and near the National Capital which he
founded and near which he made his
home.
"One of these suggestions is rapidly
approaching reality. Under authorization
from Congress a beautiful memorial
boulevard is being constructed in Vir-
ginia along the shores of the Potomac,
from Washington to Mount Vernon, the
beautiful estate where Washington lived
i. for many years. 1t is expected that this
boulevard, about IL miles long, Will be
completed in time for the celebration In
1882.
Wakefield Being Restored.
s'Congress also is assisting in the res
t0ration of Wakefield, where Washing
ton was born. The old Washington
homestead is owned by the United
States, but has been sadly neglected fol-
many years. A monument has beer
erected there and a small amount has
been contributed annually by the Fed
srai Government for the upkeep of the
property. But Wakefield long age
should have been restored in a befittine
AAtnAthCl dAlA PkNoNANCA GO - AGVtNASn1
shrine.
I want to call your attention briefly tC
another great project which is not di'
rectly related to the commissions work
but nevertheless constitutes a beautiful
and enduring memorial to Washington.
This lis the George Washington Me-
friprial Parkway, which Congress recent
ly established by law, along the shores
of the Potomac, from Mount Vernon
U,nArn WA shin Ivan ~ AlAvondria
where he visited to the National Cap.
ttAl, which he founded and so up IL
Great Falls, where relics of his engineer
ing works still remain. This action by
Congress win preserve the beautiful
banks and palisades of the Potomac
from unsightly dissertation and misuse
fLet us remember. too. that the great
Federal building program is going
forward in Washington, bringing the
Capital nearer TO the ideal of the First
President. It is hoped that a great
many of the improvements in the Ma
ticnal Capital will have been COM
pleted by 1892, which the commission
has designated as the Anniversary year
Conventions Encouraged.
1.-THE commission feels that great or.
CARNATIONS of all kinds should hole
conventions in Washington during 1882
Each trade. profession, art and bust
ness should be represented in these
meetings. Conferences OF legislators
jurists, educators, religious leaders anc
scientists should similarly be held In
the Capital.
The years program would be for.
n1ally opened with a Nationwide cele'
bration of Washington's Birthday
Throughout the year, on every holiday
of patriotic significance, the Natior
would join in suitable observances
Thanksgiving day, according to thu
plans. would close the years program.
Congress had invited the yariou
state and Territorial governments T.