The Washington times., 1936-09-01
NOW
Identification
OF Potomac
PET TOPIC
BY HELEN ESSARY

That the Potomac River should
be made clean enough for bathing
that little boats ,hould dash about
on its surface and bright tea
houses and cheerful flower beds
line its sides, has been for years
one of my cries.
So when 1 caught Col. Dan I
Sultan, Engineer Commissioner OF
the District, in a conversational
NOODLE was on the beach at
Rehoboth at the moment rushed
to debate my cause. l said firmly
Colonel Sultan, when is the
Government going to clean up
the Potomac"
The Colonel, engaged in sort
Of busman's holiday, was drawing
triangles and Squaring circles in
the sand. He looked up sharply
and said:
1.-THE Potomac can't be cleaned
up mot completely. 1t can
never be made fit for bathing.
The AnacOStia River, which
flows into the Potomac, is its
principal reason for pollution.
The Potomac will be full Of
sewage as long as the AnacOStia
River continues to empty its
filth. That is unless the drain
age system of Washington is
made over. AS things are now,
no matter how much money we
spend, the Potomac can't be
made safe"
/ persisted:
But the rivers of Europe,
Colonel, the Seine and the
Thames. Bathers are often seen
there"
He answered.:
"They shouldn't be. Those
old rivers hold centuries of dis
ease"
Obviously this was not
matter for me to argue. But 1
wondered why the Potomac
couldn't be made more inviting
Tor boats and boatmen.
The colonel answered:
"There are many boats on
the river as it is. Don't forget
that the Potomac is very dan
gerOuS. 1t is full of rapids and
unexpected shoals"
But again I argued for the
gayety and the life on the Euro
pean rivers, those waterways OF
recreation"
The colonel returned:
"HOw broad are those water
ways?"
Now I was surely losing points.
For the Seine in truth is about as
wide as Connecticut Avenue. The
Thames when it was flowing
bravely, is as broad as PennSyl-
Vania Avenue. Generally as 1t
curls above London, it's no bigger
than one of the dozen of streams
crossing an American country
road.
The poetic Arno is thick and
yellow. A tourist could call across
its shores for fourth at bridge.
And the Marine, where heroic fight
ing of the World War took place,
Is about the size of Rock Creek.
AS remarked on these facts to
Colonel Sultan he nodded Sagely
and added:
."As it is the United States
Government is doing very well
by the Potomac. 1t has bought
most of the land between
Washington and Great Falls.
This whole area will soon be
turned into a park"
The C. and o. Canal, I said
there was a picturesque and his
toric institution. 1t was outrag-
eous that it should now be sur
rounded by miserable shacks.
Again the commissioner was
ready with blue prints. He said:
"The C. and o. Canal will
soon be a park. The Govern
ment is planning to purchase
it and the land around it. The
shackS will disappear. The ada
cent woods will be cleaned out.
Fine rOadwayS will follow the
course of the famous old canal"
This Improvement, the colonel
continued, is one of the immediate
plans of the Government.
The preservation of the natural
beauty in the United States is
one of the Engineer Commission
er's pet hobbies. He's very proud
of the way his Government has
gone ahead with the work.
In the last five years, he said,
this country has done more to
e. ,.i1