The Washington herald., 1922-02-14
Cease Arguing; Build.

A FIRE department lacking apparatus recently
n wrought effectively quel conhagration
building lacking facilities for filing of invaluable
documents. The FIRE extingushed without
much damage to the Treasury Building and the
records preserved intact. But it will not al
ways be that way if archives structure is not
erected.
...r With the New York Times at loss
know what prompts Congress, year after year.
to continue fussing about appropriation for this
sorely-needed structure One might think it a
piece of pork-barrel legislation.
Every once in while, remarks the Times, edi-
tofialy, Americans reminded by some striking
irreparable loss of precious historical documents
of the necessity of housing them in buildings abso-
luely safe from fire. In 1911 the burning OF the
New York State Library made monstrous gap in
the materials, many Of them manuscript, of our
colonial history. The Dutch records for seventy
five wears of the seventeenth century, the English
colonial records, priceless collection of Indian
manuscripts disappeared forever. Only a little
more than year ago fire in the Commerce
Building in Washington destroyed the census rec
ords, reaching back to 1890, and containing an in
Unity of matter necessary to the study OF the eco
nomic social financial and industrial history of the
United States. Last Wednesday fire in the Treas
ury Building came within ticklish distance OF the
old records OF the department, themselves not con-
,;rrous or perfect for the fire OF 1883 gutted
OF them.
Only two days before the fire OF February
Senator Smoot of Utah, said that he would as
sumo no further responsibility for the safekceping
. Of the government records If within the next
vcar or two some OF the most valuable government
records are destroyed by fire, want the response
bity to rest. where it belongs
1T wasn't the fault of the Senate, he said
Three times the Senate has put into appropriation
, bills a provision for the erection OF an archives
building The House has refused to accept the
!, amendments. This year it would not agree to an
appropriation of 100000 to buy site for such
building In 1908 President Roosevelt had the
greater part of the papers of the Continental Con-
. gress and of the Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson,
Madison and Monroe collections transferred to the
, Library of Congress, where they are safe Last
wear Mr. Harding ordered the original copies OF the
Declaration of independence, the Constitution, the
Articles of Confederation, and so on, removed to
the same shelter. But government archives are
spread all about Washington. in buildings unht to
. preserve them either from detriment by heat and
moisture and dryness or from fire. The archives
OF the Department of State kept in divers por
|. tons of the State, War and Navy Building where,
: according to the National Board Of Fire Under
writers the chances Of excessive loss to both build
ing and contents very great IN case hre
should break out and not be quickly controlled.
The records of the Treasury are difused in num-
bcr of places most ironically unsuitable. There is
a pile OF them, the mains pile, in the attic OF the
Treasury Building. If fire spares them, they will
waste away in their present quarters Other Treas
sut,-records are housed in theater basement, 9TH
! crs in a sort of cellar ~ &.
. How long Is the government to invite the de-
struction OF invaluable documents? The House and
Senate concrees agreed that there ought to be an
archives building; but the singular argument
made that Congress shouldn't appropriate any
money Tor it until there is general public buildings
bill in which it be included Substance is moth
ing form is everything. The dispute about The site,
the disposition attributed tho House not to buy
sl9gd when the government possesses much va