Evening star., 1938-11-27
Cherry Tree
History Is
Related
Miss Skidmore First
Suggested Them
For Capital
By John Clagett Proctor.

VI NAoRANoA
BY John Clagett Proctor.
The recent controversy over the
cherry trees surrounding the Tidal
Basin is unfortunate, especially
since there seems to be nothing we
can do about it. However, it is
doubtful if we in the District of
Columbia are quite as much affected
In the destruction of some of these
trees. as are the many thousands of
people from outside of Washington
who visit this city annually, in the
spring, just to see the cherry bios
SONS.
1t is hardly believable, and yet it
Is true, that in recent years around
one million people have annually
viewed these trees when they were
in full bloom. AS matter of fact,
on Sunday, April II, 1887, the esti-
mated number of people to witness
this gorgeous display was 213,000,
and as the trees are in bloom for
about ten days, the estimate of one
million sightseers for the season
can be seen to be a conservative
number.
On March 27, of the present year,
$4,000 was the peak for the day,
this estimate being based on $4,000
pedestrians and $1,000 automobiles,
each car carrying an average of
four persons. A check-up of the
OF
outside automobiles predominated,
and besides this, special trains
brought many visitors to the city,
while the airlines reported the
heaviest traffic for the year, with
every plane loaded to capacity.
Ten years ago, when the trees
were threatened with destruction by
the flood waters of the Potomac,
The Star said:
THE cherry trees in Potomac Park
are known for their beauty through
out the country, and at the time of
their blooming Washington is Wis
tied by many thousands of people
who make this great reservation a
mecca. To the resident of the Cap
ital they are a source of annual
delight Any menace to them is
cause of great public distress and
there is fervent hope that the
efforts now planned to rescue the
trees may succeed
The idea of bringing these trees
to Washington originated with a
woman and this woman was Eliza
Ruhamah Scidmore, who visited
Japan at least as early as 1885 and
viewed with admiration the cherry
trees in Uyino Park, and she
thought, so one account tells us,
that similar trees would help beau
tify the Capital of her own coun-
try. Accordingly, when she returned
to Washington she went to one OF
the administrative officials with
photographs of the beautiful trees
she had seen in far-off Japan, with
a plea that similar trees be planted
in Washington. The officials, it is
said, kindly listened, but that was
all.
But Miss Scidmore's opportunity
finally came when William Howard
Taft became President, for Mrs.
Taft had seen much of Japan and
knew the beauty of it's trees, and
Miss Scidmore proceeded to enlist
her aid in getting enough trees to
make a good start in her long
cherished desire for the beautifca-
ton of the Capital, and eventually
a Nhcf
Miss Scidmore lived to see the re-
suits of her years of effort and reap
q reward even more glorious than
she could have anticipated.
There are many versions regarding
the bringing of the cherry trees to
Washington, but one would assume
that the Japanese Ambassador of a
few years ago, Katsuji Debuchi,
would be well informed on the sub
ject, and so the writer is going to
quote from what this Ambassador
said at one of the George Washing
ton bicentennial celebrations in 1882
regarding these trees:
"It was in 1909" writes the Am
bassador, that the late Miss Eliza
Ruhamah Scidmore, sister of the
late Mr.. George Hawthorne Scid-
more, long American Consul General
In Yokohama, conceived the idea OF
bringing cherry trees from Japan
and planting them in Potomac Park,
thu cost to be met by private contri-
bu ons.
drs. Taft, then the First Lady of
th Land, who had visited Japan
several times on her way to and from
tho Philippines, and had seen the
Japanese cherry blossoms in all their
glory, heard of Miss Scidmore's plan
and became an enthusiastic sup
porter.
when the news of this movement
reached Japan, the City of Toxic
took keen interest in it and offered
to donate 1000 trees to the City of
Washington as token of the deep
affection cherished by the Japanese
people for the people of the United
States"
According to the statement made
by tho Ambassador, the cherry trees
reached Seattle on the Japanese
steamer Kaga Maru on December 10,