Evening star., 1933-05-31
ARTS BODY FIGHTS
REM0DEL|NG PLAN
|. AT THOMAS CIRCLE
Ideas Spread Over Entire
City Held Threat to
L'Enfant's Work.
SAME ARGUMENTS SEEN
APPLICABLE ELSEWHERE
Commission Believes Traffic Prob
lens Can Be Solved Otherwise
and Save Beauty Spots.

Adoption Of the scheme for remodel
ing Thomas Circle as Endorsed by the
Public Utilities Commission, the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission and other agencies would be
tantamount to disregarding the Len
FAINT plan for the city's development,
DR.. Charles Moore, chairman of the
Commission of Fine Arts, declared to-
day in speaking for that body.
The Fine Arts Commission feels, ac-
cording to DR.. Moore, that the time
has come to decide whether we will
dismember the city or preserve it." The
commission considers that If Thomas
Circle is cut up to permit an easier
flow of traffic around it, dangerous
precedent will be set which probably
will lead to the eventual mutilation Of
most Of the Capitals circle parks.
Thomas Circle was In the original
L'Enfant plant, 1t was pointed out, and
the same reasons that are put forward
for its disemberment would apply with
equal force to every other circle in the
District.
Cites Dupont Circle.
The same argument probably would
be urged Immediately DR.. Moore de-
clared, for changes in Dupont Circle
with its huge trees and, as the city
grows, would be pressed for changes in
other circles.
The Fine Arts Commission was estab-
lished in the interest of the people Of
the entire United States, DR.. Moore
said, and its principal job is to preserve
the beauty Of the National Capital for
them, to whom 1t belongs, rather than
to sacrifice the city's beauty in the
interests Of the man driving to his
office in the morning.
The Commission recognizes the prob
lem presented by traffic congestion,
however, and the situation now is being
studied by Maj. Gilmore D. Clarke, its
landscape member, who also is in
charge of designing the Bronx, West
chester and Hudson River parkways in
New York and who was the consultant
in laying out the Mount Vernon high
way. His report Is expected to be pre-
sented at the next meeting OF the Com
mission, July /.
A report submitted at the last meet
ing states in part in reference to the
plan:
"The Commission feels that 1t would
establish dangerous precedent by de-
stroying the integrity of the park cir
cles of Washington. Even though
change is desirable, the present plan
could be improved. The alignment OF
the curbs is not pleasing and would
not be an improvement on present con-
ditions so far as the appearance OF the
circle Is concerned.
Beauty Held Important.
Traffic is an important consideration
in Washington, but not II 1t means the
sacrifice of the amenities which have
made the Capital the most notably
beautiful city in the United States"
DR.. Moore said "the mutilation OF
Thomas Circle would be comparable
to putting the Treasury Building on the
axis of the Capitol and White House
and the placing of the Library Of Con-
gress across Pennsylvania avenue. The
people who did these two things have
suffered excoriation since, and the peo-
pie who would change or dismember
this circle would suffer the same ex-
coriation. The Capital belongs to the
people of the United States They
have paid for it and it Is theirs.
The statue of Gen. Thomas which
stands in the center of the circle is con-
sidered one OF the best equestrian
statues in the country and one of the
finest ever executed by j. G. A. Ward.
To cut off part Of the circle. it was de-
clared, would destroy the setting for
this statue and also detract from the
beauty Of the new National Capital
Christian Church, which faces 1t.
1t Is the opinion of the commission
that the traffic problem which brought
about the plan for revamping Thomas
Circle could be solved by better dis
tribution of traffic to other streets by
widening other thoroughfares and more
strict enforcement Of police parking
regulations. Widening of the roadway
around the circle on the outside would
permit a greater facility Of traffic how,
it Is thought.
Tracks Planned In Center.
Under the proposed plan for remod-
cling the circle, the street car tracks
would run through 1t on either side OF
the statue with roadvays for north
and south vehicular traffic alongside
them. Narrow islands of park would
be left on both sides and small TRAN
gular islands would be developed on
Massachusetts avenue on both sides Of
the circle.