Evening star., 1934-01-09
L L'ENFANT'S PLAN
FOR CAPITAL MALL
IS BEING REALIZED
Tree-Cutters at Work Clear.
ing Way for Highways
in Park.
P. w. A. FUND OF $500, 900
IS ALLOCATED FOR WORK
Program May Cost $1,000, 900
With Development of Union
Square.

Development of the Mall as the great
central parkway from the Capitol to
the cross axis with the White House
near where the Washington Monument
stands, envisioned well over a century
ago by Maj. Pierre Charles LEnfant,
the designer of the national city
is being made Immediately possible
through the ALLEGATION of emergency
public works funds.
Under the direction of Secretary Har-
old L. Ickes of the Interior Department,
the original LEnfant plan for the Mall
is being translated from blueprints into
actuality, and tree cutters are at work
getting distractions out of the right
of-way of the four new highways that
will traverse the broad span of park,
running east and west The Public
Works Administration, something L En-
fant never dreamed of, has made pos
sible the immediate development of
the Mall, with an ALLEGATION of 100000.
Altogether, it was said. the Mall pro-
gram may cost in the neighborhood
of S5,000.0C0, with the development of
Union Square, between First and Third
streets, Pennsylvania and Maryland
avenues, and the Identification of the
creation of LEnfant.
Four Roadways Provided.
The nub of the plan is a sweeping
central vista from the Capitol to the
Washington Monument. Democratic
In its simplicity. the Mall will have
four roadways, from Union Square to
Fourteenth street. bordered with Amer
ican elm trees. Between the two inner
! roadways will be nothing but green
sward. The eastern end of the Mall
will terminate in Union Square, which
already possesses the magnificent Grant
Memorial and the less pretentious
Meade Memorial, representing two of
the men most responsible for the pres
ervation of the Union, with the white
domed Capitol looming up fittingly be-
yond. Provision Is made in the plans
for erection of another memorial on
the south side of Union Square. Just
across from the Meade Memorial.
H. P. Caemerer, executive secretary
of the Fine Arts Commission, and c.
Marshall Flnnan, superintendent of the
National Capital parks, both favor
memorial TO naval hero for that spot
The Fine Arts Commission inclines to
that view, Mr.. Caemerer said Just
who this naval hero will be has not
yet been officially determined.
Elm Trees to Be Planted.
The officials of the National Capital
parks are proposing to purchase Amer
| lean elm trees of equal size and shape,
to be planted along the four roadways.
, Thus, they say, there will be no wait
| ing for tiny trees to grow up. They
point out that they have demonstrated
the feasibility of planting SiZable trees
| in the program under which they were
set down along Constitution avenue at
Seventeenth street.
Already constructed, under appropria-
! tions from Congress, is the South Drive
that runs in front of the Department
| Of Agriculture Building, from Four
! teenth to just east of Twelfth street. at
the Freer Art Gallery. Also built is the
North Drive that runs in front of the
new National Museum, from Ninth to
Fourteenth streets. At present, no in
ner roads have been constructed as part
of the quadruple- highway plan.
With the $4,000 the Public Works
Administration has made available, it
will be possible. say the park authori-
ties, to build the two inner roads from
| Third TO Fourteenth streets and line
them with American elm trees. In
addition, when Temporary Buildings c,
E and F on the Mall are ra1ed. it will
be feasible to carry forward the two
outer roads to completion with pres
ent funds. under tentative plans. The
| North Drive is halted at Ninth street
by temporary. war-built structure.
Inasmuch as the pressure for Govern
ment space is at a maximum just now,
it will not be possible to tear down
these buildings, say the officials, until
| the new buildings in the Triangle are
completed, several weeks hence.
To Develop Union Square.
With funds in hand. the officials hope
to make good start on the develop
ment of Union Square The aban-
doned buildings of the Botanic Gar
| dens must be razed The officials are
about to let a contract for this work,
| as soon as the Joint Committee en- the
Library officially turns the land over
to tine National Capital Parks. Last
week the committee on the Enlarge
ment of the Capitol Grounds, headed
by Vice President John N. Garner,
approved the plans for the beautifica-
tion of the Mall.
Barring the view from the Capitol
to tine Washington Monument are the
two smokestacks and the temporary
heating plant at Seventh street, in the
| center of the Mall. Finnan hopes to
have this torn down as soon as pos
sible, so that the great central vista
will be- insured When the central
heating plant now under construction
near the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing. is completed it will be pos
sible to heat the temporary buildings
on the Mall from that system. Then,
Finnan hopes to be able to raze the
| temporary building and its twin smoke
stacks that blot the view. Other tenn
porary buildings on the Mall will be
razed, as conditions permit.
a.&. Co. L~nt
and sprinkling system in the Mall and
the tearing down of the old Botanic
Gardens buildings. Within 10 days the
Bureau of Public Roads of the Depart
ment of Agriculture hopes to have the
contractors, MCGUIRE g. Rolfe Of this
city, at work on the road construction,
inasmuch as Secretary Ickes signed the
contract yesterday.
Criticized for Tree Cutting.
Much criticism has been heaped upon
park authorities for cutting down trees
| in the Mall and rearranging the road
system there. In reply the park Of
fcials say that the program is based
on the lEnfant plan of 1891. that it
was Endorsed by the Mcmillan Park
| Commission of 1901 and that the
notifications, to meet modern traffic
needs have the approval Of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission, the Fine Arts Commission and
the Committee on the Enlargement of
the Capitol Grounds. The Public
Works Administration likewise approved
the plans by allocating $500, 900 to carry
them forward and while Secretary
Ickes for q time withheld his consent
because of criticism over tree cutting
he gave the word to 90 ahead after he
had studied the plans and made a per-