The Washington herald., 1918-08-15
TEMPORARY
STRUCTURES
WILL REMAIN
Fine Arts Commission Gives
Doleful Report on Mall
Prospect.

washington's public parks will
probably be permanently dishgured
by the. so-called temporary war
work buildings.
Just as the temporary buildings
erected in Paris at the time of the
Franco-Prussian war in 1870 remain
standing today, so will the archi-
tectural monstrosities in the Mall and
Potomac Park continue to mar valu-
able breathing space after the war
in the most beautiful Capital In
the world"
Such is the prediction of the Com
mission OF Fine Arts OF the Capital
City.
In a pessimistic report just made
public, the commission members
make the statement that, as far as
the removal OF the buildings Is con-
cerned, only the possibility that they
are so poorly constructed as to be
entirely useless in a year or so, or
drastic action by Congress, will cause
their removal from the parks.
May Remain After War.
''The rapid expansion Of the execu-
tive departments and the creation of
new bureaus, due to the fact that the
hhNAOA 10 at WdAp mas leu 10 RNIen-
sive use OF the Mall and Potomac Park
for temporary Office buildings" says
the report of the commission.
This large occupation of park space
comes at time that ordinarily would
call for a large increase of the park
area of Washington, instead of a
marked dimunition Of it." the commits
sion continues" The buildings, while
sRpken of as temporary, may remain
and continue to be occupied long after
the war ends. The temporary build
ings erected in Paris about 1870 have
continued to be occupied for nearly
half a century. The old National
Museum is used as extensively as ever
II was, in spite of the erection of a
building designed to take its place.
The former building of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing, which Con-
gress believed to be detrimental to
the health of the people housed there
In, Is still occupied and probably will
be as long as it holds together.
Unless Drastic Measures.
''It is not unlikely, therefore. that
the buildings which now occupy the
Mall and Potomac Park will not dis
appear unless they shall prove to Je
so poorly constructed as absolutely to
prevent their continued occupancy,
or unless Congress shall take drs site
measures for their removal on tho
dimtnution of war activities
1t will be impossible to do away
with the buildings unless Conzrcss
Immediately adopts a policy OF buy
ing sufficient land and erecting ado
quate office buildings, declares the
commission.
On this point it says: TT Will be
impossible to dispense with the tenn
porary buildings unless Congress shall
see fit to adopt and adhere to a pol
Icy of purchasing land and erecuins
such office buildtags as will be needed
even in times Of peace"
Ray of Hope. O.
A ray of hope for possible rehabili.
tation Of the Mall and the PARK Is
held out by the commission when it
says, speaking of the buildings pe-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets, r
street north and B street south:
Fortunately. 1t could be so ar
ranged that these roads (those through
the squares from east to west) core.
spond with the roads laid down In
the plan for the development OF the
Mall and the lowness of the % yer
buildings serves to mark the central
axis, of the Mall. so that when ,hese
buildings shall disappear they will
leave outlined the proper development
Of the spaces they occupy"
Continuing its report, the Fine Arts
Commission points out that, should
the buildings at any time in the fu-
ture be RACED, Congress already has
prepared, a building program for the
future, along lines laid down. by the
committee.
The buildings in the Mall, which
occupy so much of the valuable park
space of the city, are. in the main,
Two or three-story structures of con-
crete, or of hollow title or brick con-
struetion, lined on the outside with
concrete stucco.. A few are frame.
Most of the buildings are SO hastily
constructed that they are of little
use; comfort Of the worker considered.
In the hot summers that Washington
experiences every year. +