Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-04

President Hoover is author of an arti-
Gle on the City of Washington which
has been printed as a preface to the
Book of Washington, volume published
under the sponsorship of the Washing
ton Board of Trade.
The book will be circulated through
out the United States by the local trade
organization for the purpose of melting
the interest of the State residents in
their Capital
In his article Mr. Hoover cites the
present building development Of the
Capital, contending that the program
entails not only the mere provision OF
handsome Office buildings, but the con-
struction of 1.-The symbol of America.
Article Is Quoted.
Tho Presidents article follows:
IT am glad that the opportunity has
come to me as President to contribute
to impulses and leadership in the i'm
proyement of the National Capital
This is more than merely the making
of a beautiful city. Washington is not
only the Nations Capital-it is the
symbol of America BY its dignity and
architectural inspiration we stimulate
pride in our country. we encourage that
elevation of thought and character
which comes from great architecture.
Our Government in washington has
grown greatly during the past Is years
We have working force of nearly TO-.
600 employees, as compared with $4,000
a score of years ago.
"War and economic recovery have
delayed us in providing even our bare
necessities of Office space. Nearly
$4,000 employees are today in rented
buildings or temporary structures QUILT
during the war, which were expected
to last but a year or two. Many OF
the buildings are insanitary. Above
all, the departments are divided among
scores of unavoidable a2d scattered
buildings. For instance, Agriculture Is
housed in 46 different places in the
city and the Treasury in n places;
Commerce in 20 places. We are pay
ing rents and losing efficiency in sums
far greater than the interest upon
adequate buildings. Many of the build
ings we occupy are an eyesore 10 the
city. We have an authorized building
program for, say, $4,000 employees, yet
il we would satisfy even our present
need we should have new buildings to
accommodate more than 10000 Gov
eminent workers.
Great Program Authorized.
Congress has authorized the be-
ginning of a great program which must
extend over many years. 1t Is our
primary duty to do more than erect
offices. We must fit that program into
the traditions and the symbolism OF
the Capital. Our, forefathers had a
great vision of the Capital for America,
unique from its birth in its inspired
conception, fleXibility and wonderful
beauty No one in $50 years has been
able to improve upon 1t.
THE founders of the Republic also
gave us great tradition in architecture.
In after years we have held to IT In
some periods and in others we have
fallen sadly away from it. Although u
is, perhaps, too early TO envisage such a
glorious future, do hope to live to
see the day when we shall remove from
Washington the evidences of those falls
from the high standards which would
have been deplored by the founders OF
our Republic and have been deplored by
the citizens of good taste ever since
these transgressions.
Probably one of the major buildings
which we regret most is the State, War
and Navy Building. 1 have been vastly
interested to find that the Congress of
directed it to be the duplicate of
1.-THE Treasury Building, but the admin
istration of that day delivered it exter-
| nally over to an architectural orgy.
/ have been lately advised that for a
comparatively modest sum We can strip
| it of its function to represent the diff
( ferent types of architecture known to
man and bring it back to the sound
classic lines of the Treasury, as Con-
greSs intended. And this again points
J to the responsibility of the administra-
| ton, for Congress is today, as then,
| giving generous authority and asking
that we do our part in design and con-
] struction.
| Must Meet Standards Of Taste.
"It is the wish and the demand of
| the American people that our new build
| ings shall comport with the dignity of
| the Capital of America, that they shall
meet modern requirements of utility.
that they shall fulfill the standards of
taste, that they shall be lasting in
spiration. In architecture it is the
| spiritual impulse that counts. These
buildings should express the ideals and
! standards of our times: they will be
| the measure of our skill and taste by
which We will be Judged by our chill
dren's children.
"Mr. Mellon has insisted that the
| great responsibility before us is not
one which can be discharged by any
one individual. 1t must be the product
of the common mind of many men, de-
vout to secure for Amefsca the vast
! realization of the expression of our Ma
ton. And am confident that we