The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-28
PLANFORU.S.
TO BUILD NEW
WAR OFFICES
Space Appointment Commits
sion Opposed to Present Plan
of Leased Quarters.

Erection Of additional buildings in
Washington to accommodate war
time and reconstruction work OF the
Government may be the result Of the
investigation now being made into
the housing needs of the Govern
ment by the Commission on the APP
portionment OF Office Space in the
District Of Columbia
The commission consists OF Senators
Smoot and Swanson, Congressman
Langley and Clark OF Florida, Elliott
Wood, superintendent of the Capitol,
and Col Charles s. Ridley, officer in
charge Of public buildings and
grounds. Senator Smoot Is chairman
OF the commission.
Senator Smoot said today he Is In
favor OF the Government erecting its
own buildings rather than occupy
premises which are held under lease
High cent for space occupied by Gov
ernment offices Is one factor which
is influencing the commission.
May Buy More Land.
Every foot of space owned by the
Government will be used to take care
Of the needs Of the war agencies and
boards whose work will be continued
long after peace is signed. If this
space Is not enough, Senator Smoot
said he wants the Government to
buy the land and erect its own quar-
tiers.
It Is the purpose Of the commission
to take all Offices out OF leased build
ings and install them in offices be-
10 hy hnQFdR
II this decision Is extended to at
feet the War Risk Insurance Bureau
II will mean that the work Of the
200 employees, recently transferred
to the Arlington Hotel building, will
have to be changed once more. Just
what quarters the bureau might oc-
cupy is a question. the members OF
the commission are not willing to
discuss at this time.
To Abolish RenfnIs.
IT want the Government to own Its
office buildings" said Senator SmooE
The commission wants to take every
agency and board Of the Government
out of buildings that are privately
owned and put them in offices erect
I'd by the Government 1t will use
every foot OF space that Is available
In the various buildings to accommo-
date present needs. II that doesn't
suffice want the Government to put
up more buildings"
War buildings that are Govern
ment-owned in the District furnish
5,46O,744 square feet Of space. This
Is the gross area. Deducting the
rooms, and storage, 4,23O,550 square
feet are available. The Navy Build
ing in Potomac Park is the largest.
1t has 733,9S0 square feet Of actual
office space. The Munitions Build
ing of the War Department, adjoining
the Navy Department, has $500 feet
of space.
The group Of war buildings at
Seventh and B streets northwest and
in the Smithsonian grounds, in which
have been housed divisions of the
War Department, whose functions
will cease with the coming of peace,
will be utilized by new agencies that
will take up reconstruction work.
Covers IA27 $50 Square Feet.
The largest of these buildings,
Groups a, B, c, D, E and F, contain
/ ,427, 900 square feet Of space. not in
Guiding the storage rooms. The Joint
Congressional Committee on the Re-
classification of Federal Employees
Salaries has found a home here.
When the fuel administration final
ly closes out it's business it will turn
over 34O,SSS feet of space to be used
by other bureaus. The offices Of the
War Trade Board, Twenty-first and c
streets northwest, will soon be Va
Gated. This adds 215,635 square feet
to other Government offices.
The commission, of which Senator
Smoot is chairman, has authority from
Congress to take whatever steps it
deems advisable to provide for the
needs of the Government. 1t was
named at the last session Of Congress
to provide some means of adequately
dividing available Government space
after the national legislature had
stricken from the appropriation bill
many provisions for renting space Ia
private buildings in the District.