Evening star., 1918-07-24
PLAN TO BAR ALL
FROM WASHINGTON
NOT NEEDED HERE
Proposal for Relieving Hous-
ing Conditions Discussed in
Official Circles.

"A plan TO exclude from washing
ton all persons who do not regularly:
reside here or who have no business
with the government IL under con-
sideration by several government
agencies interested in the problem of
housing war workers, 1t was learned
today. s.ss =. =
Although no otleiai comment could
be obtained on the proposal, It ia
known that Representatives of several
departments vitality concerned with
housing federal workers discussed the
plan few days ago. So far as could
be learned no definite conclusions
were reached.
Question Of Authority.
: 1t Is not quite clear in the minds
OF those who talked over the plan
as to who SHOULD enact such an order
Some are said to- be Of the opinion
that the President could carry out n .
proposal with an executive order SIM
liar to the one which bars allen enemies
from the District.
Others said they believed It was at
least q matter for the cabinet, while
still others felt that legislation might
even be necessary.
It was agreed, however, that such
an order undoubtedly would help
greatly to relieve q congestion In
housing which Is causing scores of
men and women to resign from the
government service and go home every
week. This steady average Of Fesig-
nations has for months been q source
Of worry to the Civil Service Commits
sion. charged with the duty of keep
ing the various government depart
ments supplied with employees.
Families Of ofleers Here.
So far as. could be learned no dehn-
lite suggestions to carry out the plan
have been made to administration
officials as to who should be included
In such an order.
Ono man. who said he had heard
that the plan was being discussed,
pointed out that many Army officers
have been assigned to Washington
during the past year and atsr, went
ts.i TO france 9r some other post. leaving
These families. he suggested, could
live in some other less congested city
while their husbands are In the service
and make the room they now occupy,
In Washington. available for persons who
have business with the government,
Another official who was told Of the
plan said he had not heard of it. but
felt that 1t would obviously help re-
1teve the housing problem, Touussta
he said, and wealthy families who do
not make Washington their perman-
ent home, but who spend months at a
time here could. without much ineon-
venience, be asked to remain in some
other city during the war.
Hotels Are Crowded.
Because Of the endless number of
war activities which are being direct
ed from Washington, business men
from every state and even from
Europe come here daily to discuss
war plans with officials, and 1t has
been q serious problem for them to
ind Accommodations for few days.
Since the beginning Of the war
every hotel in the city has been
crowded to capacity. No one could
be found this morning willing to
make an estimate Of how many people
there were in the city to conduct
business with the government who do
not regularly belong here,
One offieial suggested that a pa
triotic appeal to such persons to leave
washington and make room for war
workers might accomplish the desired
result without compulsory steps by
the government.