| Show Washington Patterns Future After Original LEnfant L'Enfant ant Plan A h. h Spring Brings Influx Of or Tourists to Capital lr Prepared by National G oer Society t ID D. D C 1 C. C Service The spring tourist trek is descending on Washington The Capital City has changed so rapidly in the last decade through a government government government gov gov- building program that even those who live there have difficulty ke keeping ping track of the shi shifting ting scenes The problem faced by the commission of fine arts and the builders of the new Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington is twofold In carrying carrying carrying carry carry- ing out the plan of 1901 worked out to incorporate virtually virtually virtually vir vir- vir- vir all aA that was feasible I in Major L'Enfant's original plan they are striving to produce the most beautiful capital in the world and at the same lame time to provide provide pro pro- vide suitable quarters for tor the ever ever- increasing bureaus of ot the federal government To erect a truly graceful building building build build- ing large enough to house the thousands thousands thou thou- sands of employees of ot one of ot the major departments such as commerce commerce com com- merce Interior or agriculture Is 11 a task so difficult as to challenge the most skilled architects There must be hundreds of ot offices all with outside outside out out- side windows no gloomy medieval castles castles will prove satisfactory Hugeness is a physical necessity grace an artistic obligation Federal Triangle Large To their everlasting credit the architects who have designed the new edifices have mastered seemIngly seemingly seem seem- impossible difficulties The federal triangle where are concentrated concentrated concen concen- more official activities thanIn than thanin in any other capital covers an area of about 20 city blocks from its Fifteenth street base the enormous department of ot commerce building to its Sixth street tip Up the Apex building which is to be occupied by the federal trade commission Within the nine buildings of this group are offices for more than 25 25 government employees yet despite de spite the vastness of ot the structures the development has genuine architectural architectural archi archi- attractiveness and dignity Fortunately LEnfant L'Enfant planned a Federal City with room to expand Even the tho largest edifices can be made to look graceful if It surrounded by grounds sufficiently spacious and the new buildings are so framed by pleasant parks and plazas that they escape the charge of ot crowded awk With its new south extensible section sec tion the department of ot agriculture building has become the largest government government gov gov- office structure in the world housing in its office once quarters quarten employees yet even in n such sucha a commodious building only about a third of ot the departments department's Washington Washing Washing- ton personnel can be brought together to to- gether Wings Added Constant expansion of activities requires an increase In government office forces too rapid to be taken care of ot in any single structure even I though it be extensible by merely I adding wings and be placed as II is this in a acre 35 park One of ot the latest latet of ot the new structures structures tures to be occupied is the new interior in tenor department building into which lome some workers recently moved Designed by Waddy B B. B Wood in consultation with Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Harold L. L Ickes this building departs somewhat from the classical classical classi cal style of ot its neighbors No pillars pil lars tars adorn it It but setbacks providing provid ing outside walls for its many wins wings give the appearance at a distance of ot Doric Done columns Building Has lias 1 Electric Stairway This Tills gray stone giant Just north of ot the marble edifices that form the tte frame for tor the Lincoln memorial is il the first government office building to be equipped with electric stair wa ways s Two of these have been installed installed in m. stalled to carry passengers between the C street and E street levels le and to relieve congestion during the rush hour when lunch Is being Ing served Inthe in inthe inthe the big cafeteria in the basement Besides the moving stairs there are 20 speed high elevators and 11 complete complete com stairways Like others recently re reo re- re Gently constructed the building has 01 I r 1 1 f WASHINGTON OFFICIALDOM OFFICIAL OFFICIAL- DOM f DOU A typical departmental tal tat home quarters o of 01 f if the the- United Sla States Department o of 01 f Agriculture Photo WIC shows the io administration building at 01 the ie left f lri with east all and mill tre treat t wings and the lie ou south building at a the right a completely automatic con air system The structure is virtually a city within a city It has a telephone system now handling 2200 main mainlines mainlines mainlines lines and 1100 extensions At a peak 2000 main lines linea can be served The system Is equivalent to one serving a city of Along the north side of broad Constitution Con Con- avenue across from the munitions building stand the white marble edifices described by the commission of ot fine arts as the frame for the Lincoln memorial Erection of ot a home bome for the federal reserve board between Twentieth and first ty-first ty- ty streets completes this composition composition com com- position and when eventually the temporary buildings result of ot wartime war time haste are removed one of the tho major dreams of LEnfant L'Enfant will be realized Pan American Annex Planned Other splendid buildings in this frame are those occupied by the National Academy of Sciences Science the public health service and the Pharmaceutical Pharmaceutical Phar association Plans for foran foran foran an annex to the Pan American union un tin ion have been prepared Although a short sight seeing tour seldom Includes a trip through the public health service that bureau is one that will richly repay a special special ape cial visit Within l its laboratories men are constantly at work seeking seek ing out causes of diseases that menace menace men ace life lite Here Dr Edward Francis discovered discovered ered the nature and origin of tularemia tula tula- remia or rabbit fever Here he heIs heIs heis Is now conducting a study of ot Intermittent Inter fevers He lie has exposed himM him him- i M t j. j I IT 4 ff 1 TROPICAL SETTING The TIe famous IPas an i monument monument mon stands out in severe contrast conrad against a black sky iky apparently in n the ip midst mid of 01 a Florida palm ro grove e as a. Independence fm e day fireworks burst burs burso o overhead J pad self to the bacteria of so many diseases diseases diseases dis dis- dis- dis eases that it seems a miracle that he still lives Other earnest scientists scientists are his colleagues They work tirelessly risking their own lives for the safety of others The late Andrew Mellon former fonner secretary of ot the treasury in presenting pre pre- presenting to the nation nallon his collection of ot art together with a building to house it It made a gift valued by experts at probably 50 50 For a site sUe the location across Constitution avenue from the Apex building has been chosen Mr Mellons Mellon's magnificent gift Is not notto notto notto to bear hU hla name for he has asked that it be called the National Gallery Gallery Gal Gal- lery of Art Any discussion of Washington art treasures must include at al least mention of the Corcoran gallery the Phillips Memorial gallery the Freer gallery and the National Collection of ot Fine Arts Artl formerly the National gallery All are distinctive In the Phillips gallery the pictures are hung as they would be in a home Washington circles parks and plazas are adorned with many memorials me me- mortals some of outstanding artis artistic tic merit For those thos Interested In sculpture and r other Ither arts the city otters offers a field eld frt Vt months of ot study |
