Evening star., 1922-02-21
TWO BIG THEATERS
MAY REOPEN SOON
ON PROVEN SAFETY
Metropolitan and Columbia
Those. Which May Get
Clean Bill of Health.
DOUBTFUL APARTMENTS
AND HOTELS ARE NEXT
More Inspectors to Be Employed to
Garry on Work-Federal Build
ings Immune in Inquiry.

Two or three of the seven theaters
closed by the Commissioners satur-
day "in the interest of public safety"
may be reopened> soon. according to
indications at the District building to-
day.
Engineer Commissioner Keller said
he has conferred with the engineers
who inspected the Metropolitan Thea
ter for its owners. land if things are
as they seem to be. the building is
absolutely SAFE" he said
The colonel said he is now having
the building gone over by District en-
gineers and is awaiting their report.
Loew's Columbia also was mentioned
at the District building as one of
the seven that might be reopened in
the near future.
Has it been determined yet when
the New National and Polls theaters
may be reopened% Col. Keller was
asked.
Will Submit Proposal.
The colonel said he had conferred
with a representative of the National
and that the management was pre-
pairing to submit proposal to the
Commissioners, on which will depend
the question of how soon that play
house will be back in service.
In the case of Polls. Col. Keller
will confer this afternoon with the
interested agencies to determine what
is to be done there. This theater is
owned by the United States govern
mnt. and a report as to why it was
closed was sent today to the chief
clerk of the Treasury Department.
Reports on the defects found by the
Commissioners committee have been
given to the owners and managers
of the other theaters closed.
A. BrylawSki. manager OF the Cos
mos Theater, and Alexander Wolf,
attorney. conferred with Col. Keller
this morning, but did not state how
soon that house would be opened.
Mr.. Brylawski said the opening
probably would be somewhat delayed
now by the arrival today of a COM
plete new set of orchestra chairs,
which were ordered last October, be-
as to the safety of any theater.
Other Local Buildings.
AS to apartment houses and hotels.
Col. Keller said no attempt would be
made to inspect all such places in
washington, but only those about
which any doubt as to safety should
be raised.
1t was pointed out that the inspec-
tion of all apartment houses in the
District, with the limited force avail
able in the building department.
would be almost hopeless task.
One or two additional inspectors
will be employed Immediately for the
building department out of the small
emergency appropriation allowed
the Commissioners by Congress for
unusual contingencies.
The District government has no
jurisdiction over the inspection of
government buildings in the District,
and, therefore, is not going into the
question of their safety.
At the Office Of Col Clarence o.
Sheriff., in charge of public buildings
and grounds, which controls a large
of the federal structures,
it was said that monthly inspections
are made of all temporary and perma-
nent buildings used by the State, War
and Navy departments.
According to Maj D. L. Weart, Col.
Sherrilrs assistant, these inspections
are made with a view to revealing
both structural and fire conditions.