Evening star., 1933-03-05
|0LD FEDERAL HALL F.
MODEL FOR COURT.
Roosevelt to Gaze Out on In.
augMaI Parade From Bit
of "0Id New York."
BY JOHN FRAZIER.

| Ia SoAAAS nAAALns
| President Franklin D. Roosevelt gazed
out on his inaugural world yesterday
from bit of 'old New York" And in
so doing established, perhaps, a new
custom in inaugural ceremonies. accor-
ding to Waddy B. Wood, Washington
architect.
Mr.. Wood designed the presidential
reviewing stand In front of the White
House and in so doing selected as his
central architectural motif old Federal
| Hall In New York City, on the portico
Of which George Washington was sworn
into Office for the first time, swearing
the oath Of allegiance and defense to
the Constitution and the United States
! upon open Bible to the sonorous in
donations Of Chancellor Livingston.
I'm selecting Federal Hall as the
central theme for the court Of honor
for President Roosevelt two things
guided me-" said Mr.. Wood to a Star
! representative. First was t$S.s wish of
Mr.. Roosevelt that the stand be SIM
pie, dignifled, unostentatious and fitting.
The second was my own idea that in
these Stressful and disjointed economic
times it would not be inopportune to
call to public attention the beginnings
! Of our Government and country, its first
President and his induction into office.
This idea also fitted we'll into the Roose-
welt inaugural scheme of things, as Mr.
Roosevelt is a native of New York Con-
sequently Federal Hall had its rebirth
| in Washington
The selection of Federal Hall marks
the second time a reproduction Of q
Colonial structure has been used in the
court Of honor establishment. In 1913,
during the first Wilson Inauguration.
Monticello, the home of the immortal
Jefferson, founder Of the Democratic
party and fellow Virginian of Wilson,
lent its ancient and noble shadow to the
historic precincts Of the White House
reviewing ground.
Sufficient to Set Precedent
| These two occasions in our history of
| 1naugurals-the only two in which re-
| productions of ancient structures have
been used for the gala national event
are sufficient thinks Mr. Wood, deeply
| interested in the beautiful and his
| torical, to establish the precedent of
i using historical edifices as background
| for architectural motifs in our presi-
Dental reviewing stands.
Thumbing the pages Of history to
| fnd out just when the presidential re-
viewing stand as such made its debut
In Washington we find first mention of
| It at the Inauguration OF Garfield.
| Other Presidents reviewed, but Garfield,
| 1t seems repaired to a stand in front
of the White House, where he witnessed
parade pass in his honor. This GUS
tom was followed by the later Presi-
dents, save Harding, of whom 1t Is re-
ported he rode back to the White House
| unostentatiously. The blustery inau-
| guration of Taft. never to be forgotten
by those who saw it, saw one Of the
most elaborate courts Of honor ever
| erected in front of the White House
1t was designed by e. w. Dunn, jr.. and
consisted Of enormous columns carrying
on top huge baskets Of flowers each
linked to the other by great garlands.
The reviewing stand was insignificant.
The reviewing stand for Mr.. Hoover
four years ago registered departure
| from the accepted custom Of the stands
, building. Reported unsatisfied with the
stand built for Mr.. Coolidge when he
was inaugurated Mr.. Hoover had the
erection Of his stand placed in Govern
ment hands, $500 being appropriated
by Congress for the purpose. But, in
| the opinion Of competent architects,
| while Mr. Hoover succeeded In one OBJ
| jective he missed out in the other. The
stand turned out to be Of the peanut"
variety.
Reviewed Without Stands.
However. without stands. former Presi-
dents reviewed the Earades that gath
cred in Washington to honor their in
duction into Office. Jefferson. 50 the
story runs, traditionally returned to
his lodgings Immediately after his In
auguration-the first time. The sec
ond time, "employes of the Navy Yard
marched to military music" before him.
"displaying with considerable taste the
various insignia of their profession"
But nowhere is there word that Mr..
Jefferson conducted review or par
ticipated in one such as we know to-
day
President Adams, before Jefferson,
returned to his home without pomp
or ceremony" The occasion Of his
Inauguration was made. however, a
time of feasting for the prisoners IN
Philadelphia gaol, they receiving the
remains OF feast prepared by the
merchants of the city and given to
Washington upon his retirement.
President Madison really reviewed
the militia Of the District. drawn up in
two lines, down which he passed. This
he did, however, before entering his
home. Monroe received the congratu-
lations of his "fellow-citizens" after be-
coming President. He then retired
home, the Marine Band playing Hail
Columbia
All the Presidents had escorts to the
Capitol, military and otherwise, and
the crowds saw them home, and wound
up the occasion for them with wine,
song and dance But none made an
occasion of their Inauguration beyond
bowling and scraping to the humanity
surging around them. On leaving the
Capitol John @. Adams passed in re-
view the military companies, and re-
| turned to his residence with the same
procession which accompanied him to
the Capitol"
Jackson's crash party" is old his =
| tory; Van Buren had a military escort
to and from the Hill, being Capt Ma
sons Dragons and Capt. Blake's and
Capt. Bronaugh's Infantry. Military
| organizations inducted William Henry
Harrison and Polk into office, and Lin
coin rode down the Avenue and back
to the White House behind loaded
rifles.
After his and Grants time the grow
ing city and increasing partisanship OF
the public began to assert itself IN rival
shows along the historic stretch OF as
phalt. Not only did the military dis
| play lOI Tie OCCdSlOl cIlldlkc duO tohc
on more definite form, but the citizen
ship of Washington began to stretch
up and make the inaugural civic af-
fair, as we'll as a national one. The
military always got the breaks with
soldier Presidents.
| Statues Flank Entrance.
! One Of the most interesting touches
Of the present inaugural reviewing
stand, and one Of which Mr.. Wood is
very proud, are the two statues that
flank the entrance to the reviewing es-
planade. They are monolithic repro
ductions Of Washington and Jefferson
after statues by Houdon and Frazier.
That Of Washington is a copy of the
statue of him standing at the head of
Wall street.
With the exception of the two statues
that fanked the entrance to the esnla.