The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1946-01-25
Observations
White House May
be Converted Into
Union Station
BY HELEN EssARY


"gentleman's house In America
into another union station is dis
turbing. The finest, gentleman :
house, known as the presidents
palace" when the republic was very
young, is in danger Of having 81
65O, goo spent on Its left wing.
Anybody would know that this
is a frightening sum, even In high
costofliying days, TO inflict on a
mellowed old mansion. a mansion
that began in 1892 as a $500 prize
drawing by a young Irish architect.
James Hoban, OF Dublin. Since
that auspicious day and since an
other exciting day. a few months
later when George Washington,
wearing Masonic apron made
especially for the occasion by
Madame Lafayette, LAID the corner
stone OF the mansion, much history
has washed over Its walls. The
Presidents palace" has been buff
feted by many violent personal
ities. But up 70 this m Jment. Il
has withstood the ravages OF ex-
perience. II has remained aloof
and secure Sure OF the past, and
aware Of its dignity and beauty.
Somehow, it has managed to sur.
viye as a charming home and defy
It's modernizers.
But now a tidying-up wave hit
the old place. They ave no idea
who they" are) keep talking about
5000 additional square feet OF floor
space TO accommodate the PPresi-
dents ONCE stan in shiny new
rooms. When they talk about
square feet, II always seems SO
much worse than Just feet Also
there's to be an auditorium TO seat
about 400 people at news confer
ences.
Good heavens! what has hap
pened 10 the republic? Mr.. John
Adams. first president to occupy
the presidents palace, came 20
the new capital from Philadelphia,
the first seat OF the United States
government, with his cabinet and
all their clerks. There were 1856
of them. Counting Mr.. Adams and
the head office boy. There were 40
houses IN Washington then. Like
wise a housing and hotel shortage.
in fact, there wasn's any hotel.
And the Presidents palace" didn't
have its front stairs in place. This
Adamses, John and Abigail. bore
up wonderfully in this bleak atmos-
phere. Perhaps in the New Eng
land manner OF their family they
had already begun to speak only to
the Cabots and God.
! think the Humans, Harry and
Bess, can bear up without those
5000 square feet Of floor space
and that auditorium.
To me the Presidents palace
Is perfect now. Actually 1t didn't 4
begin to take on perfection until
after they stopped calling It the
Presidents palace" and named IL
the White House. This was not
long after the British. invading
Washington in the War of 1912,
smashed the windows OF the man.
sion and threw FIRE balls inside
the rooms.
The White House is made up
mostly OF memories. You think OF
IL as q composite OF the people
who have lived there. Floor space
has nothing to do with its person
atty. II is a gracious home. Many
a king and queen would give their
crown jewels for castle half as
comfortable. President and Mrs.
Truman have made its upstairs
extra cory. They've put new
coat OF paint on its outer walls.
The trees and long green turf are
being made ready for spring.
Few OF the presidents Of the
United States have been dull fell
lows. II they have not been terrific
in themselves, their families made
their regimes slightly delirious in
spots. For example, James Madi.
son was bald. stopped little man
with a sQuint But Dolly was as
eruptiye as a Yellowstone Park
geyser. (She used to give dove par
ties, too, Mrs. Truman.) And gener.
ally did as she pleased as to new
bespangled dresses, turbans. rouge
and snuif. Lately I've begun, TO
take an interest in Willard Fill
more. He was the first president
TO take a bath in the White House.
His predecessors used the wash
bowl or the Potomac. President
Fillmore was always nicely per.
fumed with Corinthian oil OF cream
and concentrated extract OF eglan-
tine. The Monroes were the most
fashionable stylish couple ever to
inhabit the White House And