Evening star., 1935-06-10

IL years ago.
Since the tumult the shouting. the
pageantry of 1928. when thousands OF
Mystic Shrners parked their cameis
with Uncle Sam1," this same Uncle sam Vir-
tually has changed the face OF MS downtown
Federal City.
Along the south side of Lower Pennsylvania
avenue there remains scarcely Landmark rec
ognizable by parader of IL years ago-eHcepe
th, tall old Post Office Department Building
no longer used the Post Office Department.
and possibly the Municipal Building.
At the grounds around the Capitol Bullolns
itself, the Shrner, especially II ne came al
by train through Union Station, probably gaSpeo
with surprise-unlesS he had been frequent
visitor in between Shrine Conventions. Inc
whole area has changed.
For the United States Government-ooth Re-
publican and Democratic-has cleared away
literally thousands of old ramshacke ana some
not so -ramshacke buildings to make way lor
a program of new Government housing, ana
wide vistas of extensions to PARK, play.
grounds and Capitol Grounds.
Millions have been spent-the total has never
been struck because 1t came from SO many
different places and is still constantly on the
change.
With some new buildings in the immediate
future and with this administration constantly
enlarging its functions by adding new agencies
the prospect appears to be for Still more changes
in the face of Washington, D. c.
Mobiles take look at old Pennsylvania ave-
nue. for instance. Remember the south side,
lors Chinatown, a wholesale district, and Curl
Gus old Center Market?
Nothing Of that is left. What happened TO II?
The Government almost made south side
clean sweep in II short years, from the majestic
building on Capitol Hill to the gray granite OLD
Treasury Building at the western end OF what
is most popularity known as Pennsylvania avenue.
A S THE Shrine parades begin their march
they will find that instead of a nondescript
lot of small stores and hotels along PennSyl-
vania avenue nearest the Capitol Grounds, there
will be found nothing but broad stretches Of
park, some newly graded. Most of this has
been cleared for the extension of the Capitol
Grounds, a program under way for several years
in adding many to the grounds around
the Capitol
From Lower Pennsylvania avenue the Shriners
will look across cleared park space, and along
broad Louisiana avenue straight to the Union
Station, where heretofore was series of old
buildings. hotels. stores and "WhatnotS"
On the other side, toward the Mall, great
park which sweeps from the Capitol to the
river. the Shrine legionS gathering for parade
will under way the formation of new Union
Square around the Grant Memorial which
stands on the site of the old Botannic Gardens.
These gardens themselves have been moved
the Mall to the south side to make way
for Union Square. Historic old trees were taken
out and younger trees are being put in their
places, according to new landscape plan.
Marching down Pennsylvania avenue. the
paraders will see on their right ugly empty
space surrounded by a board fence. where it
intended to build Municipal Center. be-
tween Third street and John Marshall place.
But the money to build this still is not forh-
coming, yet. Some kind of new municipal
buildings eventually will be constructed there.
On the left the parades will be marching by
wide-open park spaces looking ino the Mall,
instead of looking into Chinatown, until they
come to Seventh street.-the present spear
point of the gigantic group of correlated Federal
structures known the Federal Triangle.
These present magnificent terminus at
the new Archives Building, to be completed in
July. The Government has not yet decided
what to do about o-called "Apex' Building.
to be erected Immediately to the east. the
squares between Sixth and Seventh streets
Next in order along the line of march, the
ShriuerS will pass by the new Department of
Justice Building. the new addition to the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, under con-
structlon, and finally arrive at the first old
Landmark, the old Post Office Department
Building. now occupied by one of the admin
lstrations alphabet agencies the Agricultural
Adjustment Administration
Next the parade will pass the new Post
Ohce Department. monumental building in
the shape of an *" Here Shriners will find
kacullY which was not available in down.