The Washington times., 1935-11-14
NOW
EurOpeG Clues Tip
On Cleanliness
PARKED CARS
By HELEN ESSARY

Not long ago I came nome
from hasty trip to Europe-a
100 per cent American.
I'd like to lower that percentage
mark to IS and give is per cent
to the old countries.
There are some things about
these United States that could
be improved. Many of our cities
are definitely dirty. Many parts
of New York, the national metro
polls and washington, the Capt.
tai, are slovenly.
I had got used to newspapers,
cigarette and cigar butts, match
holders, chewing gum wrappers
and plain CRIME on American
sidewalks and streets. l had got
to the point where I barely no
ticed the refuse under foot in a
country which pridcs itself on
''sanitation.
But after seeing Paris, London
and several Swiss cities and re-
calling the lock Of Berlin and
Vienna, Rome and Florence, I
find myself ashamed of the shift
lessness Of Goods Own Country" ;"
In New York when the wind
blows, as it frequently does. the
swirling dirt practically blinds
the eyes. Many Of the parks are
Uttered with papers. The sub
ways are really filthy when the
Tube in London is as clean as
was the national pantry when Mr..
Hoover left the White House.
Washington, for all the money
that is being spent on its beauti-
fication in many sections, is run
down at the heels. It 'ookS like
its population has been too busy
hurrying off to the movies or
rushing to ride in new automo-
biles or getting on relief rolls and
finding Government jobs - to
"tidy up" as do Europeans.
Much of Washington is hand
some. Of course. But there are
blocks and blocks of tumbling
back fences and bare yards.
Vacant lots are frankly weedy
and tin canny. Where grass and
flowers should be grown are many
bare plots. On as an important
a thoroughfare as Massachusetts
Avenue the little improved areas
surrounding the trees if they were
In a European city instead OF
washington, would be green with
grass and bright with flowers.
Here they are in most places.
worn down to clay and gravel by
careless feet. --..
washington should grow more
flowers in window boxes and IN
the parks. Our winters are no
colder than they are in many
European cities which blossom
from April to November.
The street cleaning department
probably does the best it can to
cone with the careleSsneSs Of the
Washingtonian. The European
conscientiously puts trash in the
cans marked for that purpose In
stead of strewing it around the
streets.
In Vienna if one drops even a
match on the street, he is fined.
I idly let fall the tinfoil wrap
ping of a chocolate bar on a
Lucerne station platform. The
stationmaster himself came hurry
ing UP. Stopped and picked up
the paper and carried it OFF to It's
proper receptacle.
italy, under the rampageous
Mussolini, is violently clean.
Towns in Europe, which because
Of their age might be excused tor
q rundown look, are self respect
ing and clean.
we don't wash our streets as
thoroughly here as they do in
London and in Paris. Every night
the water Sprinklers wet the
Washington streets. But that
would hardly be called an effect
i1al cleaning. In Paris, and Lon
don. if one wakes early enough or
comes home late enough, he sees
an army Of street cleaners with
mops and brooms, who all but get
down on their hands and knees
and scrub the pavementS.
The conclusion Of this COM
plaint is this-we scrub ourselves
and our clothes more than the
average European. Why not scrub
our streets as well. Any who do
not care enough for our automo-
biles and the look Of the town
to house the automobiles and give
the streets a chance to shine.
Ieni0n Post Closes