Evening star., 1934-08-26
Trees Must Be Sacrificed
In Development of Mall
Park Official Declares Nothing Must
Obscure Direct Vista From Capitol
to Lincoln Memorial.

Contending that the end. in this
case, justif1es the means, park officials
said yesterday that the ring of the
woodmans ak must continue unin-
terrupted in the regions of The Mall
until the last tree obscuring a direct
vista from the Capitol to the Lincoln
Memorial is either hewn down or
transplanted.
For a disance of IL city blocks, from
Third street to Fourteenth street, the
scheme for the development of The
Mall, they explained, contemplates
greensward 800 feet wide as COM
pletely denuded of trees as a railroad
right of way. Before this can be ac-
complished, according to c. Marshall
Finnan, director, of the ONCE of Ma
tional Capital Parks, at least 80 more
trees, most of them grown tall and
stately with age. must be sacrificed
now, to fulfill the original plans of
Maj. LEnfante for a great course
way between the Capitol and a point
south of the White House grounds.
The contention of Mr. Finnan that
''the end eventually will justify the
means" was made in answer to a
swelling tide of protests against what
some critics have termed the "wanton
destruction" of trees now underway in
The Mall. This destruction, he ad-
mits, is enough to sicken the heart
of any lover of trees" in its present
stage but he hastened to add that
those who now lament the passing of
the trees will be stirred to new depths
of feeling by the simple beauty OF
the plan that eventually will emerge
from the present wilderness.
Plan Taking Definite Shape
This plan, which is already begin
ming to take definite shape between
Twelfth and Fourteenth streets. repre-
sents a treatment on a gigantic scale
somewhat similar to the treatment of
the Lincoln Memorial. with tn e
greensward substituted for the reflect
ing pool. Extending IN a straight line
from the planned Union Square at
Third street, it will be bordered on
either side by a 30-foot driveway.
Four rows of American elm trees will
border the driveways on the north and
south sides.
Mr.. Finnan stressed the develop
ment of this plan, not in defense of,
but in explanation of the reasons
neceSSitating the destruction and re-
moval of so many of the beautiful
trees and flower beds in this section OF
the Mall
Il can sympathize with any one who
hates to see a tree destroyed" he
added, especially with those persons
who have lived here for years and
have grown accustomed to these trees
in The Mall, some of them from
youth"
So he explained that his own per-
sonal feelings about the removal
of the trees was overcome by a
realization that the 320-foot green's
ward, with its driveways bordered by
elms, some of which already have
been planted. will make what he de-
scribed as "one of the most beauti-
fully inspiring sights in the Capital" !"
Has Semblance of Wilderness.
After talking with the park official
a reporter for The Star visited the
site where workmen are engaged in
leveling and filling in the land for
this development which has been ap-
proved by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission and the
Fine Arts Commission, whose officials
are instruSted with the carrying out of
the Mcmillan plans for the further
Identification of Washington. Com
pared with the simple dignity of the
grounds few months ago. with their
winding, tree lined roadways and the
great beds of varied colored flowers,
the scene truly approaches the SEM
blance of a wilderness. Here and
there the giant roots of trees are up
turned; others sawed of within few
feet of the ground.
In some cases, Mr.. Finnan eX-
planned, trees near the border can be
set back a distance so as not to inter-
fere with the systematized planning
Many of the finest trees taken from
The Mall area have been tranSplanted
in West Potomac Park and in the
Potomac Park-Rock Creek Driveway
In certain areas which are being filled
the trees have been uprooted and re-
planted in the same spot. A friendly
watchman pointed out to the reporter