OCR Text |
Show "Ugly" Washington. Washinjjrton, says Am'-assacior Ji.ifserand as he takes farewell of that city after 25 years' residence, is ugly. Naturally Nat-urally lie raises a storm of protest. 'Most Americans probably regard the national capital as ':he rnifst beautiful of cities at least, after their own. The lite was chosen by George Washington for its surpassing jcauty and the plan of the great French designer, L'Enfant, las been universally praised. It is admittedly a city of line itreets, fine vistas and fine public buildings. What, then, is For one thing, L'Eni'ant's plan has never been completely com-pletely carried out. A return to it, such as was attempted ivith partial success about half a century ago, would help. Por another thing and this is probably the chief reason for :riticism the fine buidlings and thoroughfares are so cltit-:ered cltit-:ered up by unworthy houses, small stores, ugly apartments, ?as filling stations, cheap restaurants, souvenir stands, etc., that the face of the city is obscured and it is hard to see its .-eal beauty. The fundamental beautify is there, needing only' to be 'recti from defacement and developed a little further. Congress Con-gress has complete control of the District of Columbia, and las the United States treasury to draw upon for its embellishment. em-bellishment. Congress has spent much money there, and will 'ipend more. But it is a question of taste more than money; tnd congress, as a rule, is not particularly happy in its artistic .aste. |