The Washington times., 1935-12-20
Human Side of News
By EdWin C. Hill

ling IN the corporation. Up at
Fifty-third Street and Sixth Ave
nue. they found the ideal area,
then held by Columbia Univer-
sity, from an ancient grant, and
solidly built over with stores,
office buildings and old houses
many Of the latter having become
speakeaSieS.
Mr.. Kahn saw John D. Rocke-
feller, jr. He informed him that
the property could be had from
Columbia on a 99-year lease. The
buildings could be razed, a mag
nificent opera house could be built,
large space could be beautifully
handicapped, and Mr.. Rockefeller
could get his carrying charges by
tossing in a couple of inconspicu-
GUS skyScrapers which would blend
in nicely with the other fixings.
He impressed Mr.. Rockefeller with
the idea that here he had a chance
to share in an enterprise of great
civic merit and to help provide
an enduring and beautiful monu-
ment to the arts.
RADIO CITY
Mr.. Rockefeller acted quickly
and generously. Disregarding the
usual legal wind-up in sucn cases,
in which an elaborate holding COM
pany network is a safeguard
against any disastrous kick-back,
he made the deal with Columbia,
on his own account, with stu
pendouS yearly payment, one that
would make even a Rockefeller
blink, set forth in the bond. Com.
plicationS arose in Mr.. Kahn's
plan. The old die-hards held to
their red plush bird cage. 1t was
good enough for their fathers and
good enough for them.
Mr.. Rockefeller, who had bank
rolled prohibition, found himself
with an expensive swarm of oli
red-brick speakeasies dumped in
his lap. He summoned lawyers,
financiers, bankers, architects, &C.
countantS, city planners, contraI-
tors and maybe few nerve Spe-
cialists. They vent into a series
of Csc haggles and informed Mr..
Rockefeller he had on his hands
one of the biggest and hungriest
white elephants in all history.
They told him that if he would
pack the area with cloud-SWeeping
skyscrapers, he might hope to pay
out.
Like an English channel swim
mer, Mr.. Rockefeller realized he
would have to go all the way
there was no halfway house. But
he decided that it should be no
haphazard business. He told his
architects to go the distance on a
group of buildings which would
constitute the best possible archi-
tectural and civic achievement.
His representatives began selling
space in advance.
One of the first and biggest
customers was the Radio Corpora
ton of America. So came Radio
City. thus accounting for the
name. The architects planned a
perfect unity, falling into some
what the same proportions as the
Lay NAdIld4' 4A41o ID O11Ay pol OIolAy
achieved. There are other build
ings to come. There were those
who thought Mr.. Rockefeller
merely had added cubits to the
stature of his white elephant.
But not so. AS the Met is again
convalescent in its red plush set
ting. Radio City is climbing out
of the red.
It looks like a happy ending all
around, with net outcome to the
city Of the great Radio City build
ings. And, with a gala perform
ance of La Traviata" at the Met,
the other 35 operas, slated for the
season, are all old-timers. too.
There is also a suggestion Of per
manence and continuity which is
reaSSuring.
Copyright. 1885. by King Features
Syndicate IncD