Evening star., 1917-09-22
ART EXPERTS 0. X.
VETOED BY HOUSE
Against Requiring Approval Of
Plans for Proposed Treas
ury Annex.
FEARS DELAY TO PROJECT

Congress has about completed the de-
tails of an authorization of $1250,000
for Treasury annex, to be erected at
Pennsylvania avenue and Jackson place,
as conspicuous location as there is in
the city, and unless the Senate insists
upon tie approval of the plans by the
Fine Arts Commission there will be
no check placed upon the character of
the building to be erected there.
| For nearly an hour yesterday the
House wrangled oevr the question of
the Fine Arts Commission. The Senate
has passed the bill authorizing this new
building with an express provision that
the commission must approve it. The
House committee on public buildings
and grounds struck out this safeguard
and rushed to the defense of it's action
yesterday afternoon, when Representa-
tive Cooper of Wisconsin endeavored to
shame the House into placing the Fine
Arts Commission section back into the
bill.
In Fear of Delays.
| Members of the public buildings COM
mittee, including Chairman Clark and
Representative Burnett of Alabama,
| took the ground that the Fine Arts Com
mission may still examine the plans of
the building and give its advice. but
they objected to congressional decree
that unless the commission approves
the plans, the building shall not be
erected.
Representative Cannon of Illinois
| joined the side of the committee. say
| ing that the commission is responsible
| for the delay in the building of the
proposed new buildings for the depart
ments of Justice. State and Navy on
| the ground condemned south of the
Avenue. He said the fine arts plans are
| so expensive Congress has never ap-
| propriated the money.
AS soon as the bill was brought up Rep
| resentative Cooper protested against the
| eliminate of the Fire Arts Commission:
1.-The corner on which this building is
| to be located he said, '.is without doubt
the most prominent unoccupied corner in
| the city 1t is dagonally across from the
| White House and Immediately in front
| of the Treasury. These two buildings
are recognized masterpieces of architec-
| ture. This new building is to be across
| the street from Lafayette Park. one of
the most beautiful places in the city
Reads Executive Order.
! subject, President Wilson's order of 1913.
| stating that the comment and advice of
| the commission should be sought before
final action on plans for buildings i'll
| Washington should be taken
1--WE are in danger of doing a serious
and rreparable wrong" continued Rep
resentative Cooper, should we adopt the
| committee amendment and strike from
the bill the words submitting the plans
/ to the Fine Arts Commission. 1t is our
duty not to permit any architectural dis
| fgurement of the Capital city of the ma
| tion.
Representative Cooper briefly outlined
| the qualifications of the members of the
commission. Representative Dowell of
| Iowa asked a question:
81 notice a provision OF the bill for the
| employment of architects, he said. 'In
| view of this service that the gentleman
| ha., suggested. and from the further fact
! that we have department presided over
| by specialists in that line, what necessity
is there for the employment of architects
! aside from those the government has al
reaGy. and this commission
Blamed for Pension Building.
| ~ will be glad to answer" said
! Representative Cooper. These depart
i ment specialists erected that noble
brick shed in Judiciary Square, known
as the pension buildings"
| "That was Gen. Meigs," said Repre-
| sentative Cannon.
| Yes, and erected under the super
vision of the department specialists of
| whom the gentleman from Iowa spoke
answered Representative Cooper. They
| also erected the old post office building
| on Pennsylvania avenue. that towering
architectural monstrosity which Gen.
| Hawley of Connecticut. said was
cross between cathedral and cotton
| factory.
| Chairman Clark. of the committee
| on public buildings. said the bill as his
| committee had reported it. does not ex-
pressly provide that the plans shall not
be submitted to the commission. He
| said that il the bill Is enacted as his
| committee reported it. the commission
will still be authorized under the ex-
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