Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-15
Continuing Thoroughfare
Recommended in Report
to Entire Body.
MEASURE APPROVED
ALREADY IN SENATE
Immediate Need of Transit Facil.
tiles Is Stressed by Repre-
sentative Zihlman.

The report ordered by the House
| District committee, urging the House
to promptly pass the bill. which has
! already passed the Senate. which pro
vtdes for the extension and widening
of 14th street through the Walter
Reed Hospital grounds, thus affording
rapid transit facilities for more than
/ eight square miles of Maryland terri
tory. was made in the House today
by Representative Fred N. Zihlman
I OF Maryland, who has been working
| for several years to get this lesis-
| latton enacted.
The report emphasizes that the
| proposed development would aid ma
tertally in opening up suburban terri
tory to relieve the housing shortage.
! carries the approval of the Secretary
OF War, the Highway Commission of
the District, the District Commits
sioners. and has been urged by the
organized citizens In both the Dis
trtct and Maryland territory affected
He points out that the extension
| Will In no way interfere with ar
| rangements for the care Of service
| men in the Walter Reed Hospital
| put VIII AFFORD them easier access TO
.
| medical center, designed to be one
or the greatest medical centers III
the world. on one Of the main thor
oughfares.
! Text OF Mr.. Zfhlman's Report.
| The Zihlman report is as follows:
The committee on the District of
Columbia. to whom was referred the
bill Oh R. soS4) to vacate certain
| streets and alleys within the area
| known as the Walter Reed General
| Hospital. District of Columbia, and
20 authorize the extension and widen
| ing OF 14th street from Montague
| street to its southern terminus south
| OF Dahlia street, Nicholson street
| from 18th street to 10th street, Col
! orado avenue from Montague street
| 20 18th street, Concord avenue from
18th street to its western terminus
from Nicholson street to Piney
Branch road and Piney Branch road
from 18th street to Blair road, and
I for other purposes, having considered
/ the same, report favorably thereon
| with the recommendation that the
! bill do pass without amendmept
This bill provides for the closing
! Of all streets and alleys within the
! except 14th street, these including
1 18th street, 18th street, Dahlia street.
| Dog~ood street and Elder street It
\ provides for the widening and open
grounds of the reservation in ac-
| cordance with the plan prepared by
| the Office of the chief of engineers
Of the United States Army
Plan OF the Extension.
by this plan It is provided that
14th street shall extend through that
| nP ~rb yo6
medical department of the United
States Army plans TO build medical
officers school. student officers quar-
/ tiers, library and a museum. which
group OF buildings has been destg
mated by the surgeon general OF the
Army as the Army medical CENTER
ut is not proposed TO extend 14tf
street through that portion OF the
or purposes. the wards-under the
| permanent plan OF the surgeon gen.
eral-being placed much closer TO
Georgia avenue than to the proposed
! extension of 14th street.
while the bill uses the words the
| Walter Reed Hospital grounds IL
should be borne in mind that the
tract originally purchased for the
| Walter Reed General Hospital did
not extend beyond 14th street on the
west. Later the land between 14th
| and 18th streets was acquired. Now
/ the medical authorities desire to stop
14th street.
Map of 1919 Outlined.
THE map OF the proposed Army med
| ical center, prepared as early as 1919,
shows only faculty officers quarters.
officers library and an officers museum
on the west Of 18th street, between 14th
| I'D %ha nff
school building and student officers
quarters on the east Of 14th street ana
extending for more than a city square
| between 14th street and the buildings
| of the Walter Reed General Hospital
proper The wards at the Walter Reed
| General Hospital are thus closer to the
existing surface street car line on
Georgia avenue than they will be TO
the proposed depressed car line on 14th
| street.
This permanent plan of the medical
| department of the Army places the quar-
tiers Of the enlisted men, non-comInts-
| stoned officers, transportation unit. and
| the fire department of the Walter Reed
General Hospital Immediately upon the
1 existing street car line on Georgia ave-
nue..
plans for the extension of this street
shall be subject to the APPROVAL of the
Secretary OF War.
street ON Depressed Level
These plans include the extension OF
| 14th street at a depressed level. so that
| a series Of overhead bridges will pro-
vide continuous roads and walks Within
the medical center reservation.
''This matter has received most care
full consideration by the War Depart
| ment, and the highway commission OF
the District OF Columbia, composed Of
the Secretary Of War, the Secretary OF
the Interior, and the chief of engineers
of the United States Army. which COM
mission held extensive hearings before
| the plan was approved, after which the
appended communications were written
| to both the District Of Columbia affairs
committee OF the House and Senate.
The hearing before the highway
commission had the broadest posi-
BILE scope. The following citizens
| associations of the District OF Column
bia were represented, by resolutions
and by spokesman. and favored the
| passage of this bill: The Federation
of Citizens Associations of the Dis
| trict of Columbia, 18th Street Heights
/ Citizens Association, Brightwood