The Washington times., 1920-06-15
.U.S.MAY CLOSE
OFFICES; |ND.C.
Action Of Congress Forces Sur.
plus Supply Division Of War
Department to Move.

Washington may no longer be the
headquarters for the sale of hun
drsds OF millions of dollars OF the
! Governments surplus war material.
Action by Congress during the clos
: ing days OF the session is expected
to force Secretary of War Baker TO
approve the transfer to Baltimore,
New York and Philadelphia OF the
entire offices Of the two most i'm
portant bureaus OF the War Depart
ment. handling the sales of approx
mately half a billion dollars worth
of property and ordnance supplies.
WOULD TRANSFER CLERKS.
Should Secretary Baker approve
the executive order for their trans
fer, which already is waiting to be
submitted to him when he returns
from West Point tomorrow II would
mean also the transfer of several
hundred CLERKS from Washington.
The contemplated transfer would
have a direct effect upon Washington
as the center OF the biggest sales
department in the history of the Gov
ernment.
The surplus property division OF
the quartermaster's department has
amounting to approximately $780,
100000. 1t is estimated that the
property in the Ordnance Salvage
Board, the other bureau to be trans
ferred, amounts to about 100000. 900.
TO LOSE HEADQUARTERS.
The property now is scattered. from
coast to coast, where 1t has been
stored in armories, cantonments, and
warehouses awaiting sale and dis
tribution. Manufacturers and buyers
by the hundreds have come to Wash
ington during the course OF the past
year in the interests OF contracting
for this surplus material and in ad-
dition to losing its position OF being
the headquarters Of one of the great
est "sales departments" in the coun-
try, Washington will miss hereafter
an influx of prominent business men
IL the order finally Is approved.
Just before It adjourned Congress
limited the salaries of clerks in the
administrative offices Of the War De-
partment in Washington to 81 800 a
year. besides placing restrictions on
the, number Of clerical force in the
offices. This and other hedges
thrown around the work of the de-
partment affecting vitality the work
carried on by these two particular
bureaus mdue IL necessary lOT tHe
Chief of STAFF to circumvent the ac-
tion Of Congress by transferring the
bureaus to other cities.
MOVING TO BALTIMORE.
The Surplus Property Division is
scheduled to be transferred to Balti-
more, which Is already a large center
for Government supplies. 1t is plan
ned also to transfer the offices of the
Ordnance Salvage Board to New
York and Philadelphia. By this
method the field agents would have
entire control of the sales department
OF the army and necessary cutting
down OF the STATS would be elm
mated
Secretary of War Baker has not
announced his views on this proposal
the graduation exercises at the Mill
tary Academy and is not expected to
return until tomorrow. There is no
certainty that he will approve the
proposed order. owing to differences
Of opinion regarding proper jurisdic-
tion. The Division Of Purchase, Traf-
fic and Storage under the General
STAFF. which has direct control over
the two bureaus In question believes
the department would be acting with
in it's powers to transfer the bureaus
TO othSr cities.
Al he most the transfer would
aTe, only about 400 clerks most OF
whom would go with the bureaus.
The force OF both the bureaus is
among the smallest in the entire de-
partment