Evening star., 1932-05-10
ARTS FEDERATION
PRAISES L'ENFANT
PLAN FOR CAPITAL.
One of Nations Greatest
TriumphS, Speakers Tell
Convention Here.
DRAPER OF CHARLOTTE
SEES BRILLIANT FUTURE
Deplores Lack of Funds in Park
Development-Delano Urges
Vigilance.

The LEnfant plan for development
OF the National Capital was praised as
'one of the greatest artistic triumphs
in the United States today" and sup
port for carrying it to completion was
urged by speakers before the annual
convention of the American Federation
Of Arts yesterday afternoon at the May
flower Hotel.
Earl S. Draper of Charlotte, N. c..
chairman of the Legislative Committee
Of the American Society of Landscape
Architects, delivered an address, going
extensively into the past, present and
proposed future development of Wash
ington.
Declaring that Washington probably
would never be one of the great cities
Of the world in size, Mr.. Draper said
that its greatnes would be determined
by artistic excellence" He urged the
upholding of artistic standards here
and the support of all groups interested
in art to the end that the tradition of
LEnfant may be carried on.
Maintenance Is Problem.
Discussing small parks of the city.
Mr. Draper said they needed a thor
ough study to work out a basis of de-
sign" but pointed out that one of the
principal problems facing the parks
was a shortage of maintenance funds
Mr. Draper warned there was dan
ger" to the National Capital Park and
Planning Commissions work in devel-
oping the George Washington Memo
rial Parkway because of the amend
ment to the District appropriation bill,
which would prevent the spending of
money now available, but not already
~ hn
speaker said that artistic standards
should not be determined by financial
expenditures"
Frederic A. Delano, chairman of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, traced the persistence of
the L'Enfant plan through the devel-
opment programs for the Capital, and
declared that the future of Washing
ton depends on vigilance and enthusi-
asm to keep the Federal city something
like it was originally planned"
One of the hardest ideas to get
across during these hard times when
Congress is cutting out frills," said the
speaker, lis to convince Congress that
planning a city is not a frill, but
matter of economy. We plan ahead,
he explained, so you who execute, who
spend money will not carry out fool
ISL dIlQ WdSGSlu1 SCIl6IIleS.
Urges Greater Interest.
Horace w. Peaslee, second vice pres
ident of the American Institute of
Architects, warned that something is
threatening Washington all the time.
The ideal of the Capital of the future
could not be realized. he predicted. if
things were allowed to drift He urged
the various groups of artistic achieve
ment TO take a specific interest in the
National Capital, such as the sculpptors
in sculpture, the painters in mural dec
Grafton, landscape architects in the
architecture of the grounds. He called
upon the federation as the parent body
of the arts" to help stimulate and fos-
ter such interest in the Capital CITY,
He presented the resolutions of the BIZ
centennial conference on the National
Capital, which were referred TO the
Committee on Resolutions. The first
OF these pledged the organization TO
the principle that our National Capt.
tai should express in its physical plan
ming and development the highest
ideals and accomplishments Of Amer
ican art"
Henry K Bush-Brown recommended
that artists should have home here
W CuuCdbS VI SOl4SlCSS VIII
are hungry for art"
Charles w. Eliot, I'd. of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission
explained briefly regional planning"
which he said was an extension of the
LEnfant plan to extend TO 400 square
miles, in balance, sequence and har-
mony."
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, executive
and diSburSing officer of the Park and
Planning Commission, declared the op-
portunity was now presented to make
of the city of Washington "a work of
art" Many cities, he declared, were
developed only in response to changing
supply and demand and selfish inter
ests. But here we have chance" he
said, ito make one American city
work of art and not like Topsy. who
lust growed.'" Certain necessities of
utility and governmental demand must
be served here, he said, but there was
great opportunity for more than mere
utility.
Session Ends Tomorrow.
The afternoon session was closed by
consideration of Planning the Small
Community for the Life of Today" by
Henry Wright, architect of New York.
with informal discussion opened by
John Irwin Bright, architect.
Delegates last night went to the Cor
coran Gallery of Art to view the BIZ
centennial exhibition Of portraits of
Washington and his associates. There
was a gallery talk by Mrs. McCook
Knox. chairman of the Bicentennial
Portrait Committee, following which
the gallery was opened to the public.
This mornings session at the May
flower Hotel took up the subject, Art
and Leisure" with addresses and dis
cussion by William Sloane Coffin pres
ident of the Metropolitan Museum Of
Art Royal Bailey Farnum, principal
of the Rhode Island School of Design;
Joseph L. Wheeler of Enoch Pratt Free
Library, Baltimore, and Thomas Munro
of the Cleveland Museum Of Art.
This afternoon was open for gallery
visits and Office hours for department
heads of the federation.
Art and Nature" will be discussed
at tonight's session by Mr.. Munro, John
c. Merriam, president of Carnegie In
stitution, and George H. Opdyke. The
convention closes tomorrow.