Evening star., 1925-10-03
Wardman Company Starts
Custer Action-CIaims
Rental Is Too Small.
OFFICIALS ARE SILENT
ON STEPS TO BE TAKEN
Construction Firm Plans to Con-
vert Structure Into Stores
and Offices.

The United States Department Of
Justice has been given 80 days to va
cate the building which it now occu-
pies, at the southeast corner Of Yer
mont avenue and K streets, it was
announced today by Harry Ward
man, owner of the building
While the department has been told
by former owners before that the
building was wanted for other pur-
poses, it has refused to move, and no
real effort toward eviction has been
made previously. This time, however.
the Wardman company officials de-
clare that they will do all they can
TO get the Department out of the
building.
1t is Mr.. Wardman's intention to
remodel and redecorate the building
to provide for stores on the ground
floor and general offices above.
Declares Rental Small.
Mr.. Nardman explained today that
the building is worth more than
81 100000, and that it is in the neigh
borhood that has rapidly developed
into one of the most important bust
ness sections of the city. with conse-
quent rising values. Mr. Wardman
explained that the Government is pay
ing only $4,000 a year rent. Other
officials of the company state that
Mr.. Nardman has been offered s165.-
600 year rental for the building.
Thus, it was pointed out, he would be
losing 5000 year if the Govern
ment were allowed to retain tenancy.
If the Government would pay a fair
rental commensurate with the value
of the property. officials of the Ward
man company declared they would be
glad to let it stay. They would not
state. however, whether or not they
would require rental of Sl65 900 from
the Government.
While the Department has rented
the building for a number of years
for more than a year past it has had
no lease and has been subject to notice
to vacate at any time. According to
the Wardman Co, although the de-
partment has been without a lease.
and therefore tenants at Sufferance.
for more than year department Off
cialS have made no attempt to come to
an understanding with the company
nor have they even discussed the mat
ter.
Mr.. Wardman declared yesterday that
he felt very keenly at having toask the
department of Justice to get out ofhis
building. but he was also under the
necessity of getting the proper re
turns on his investment.
Officials Deny Notice.
Officials at the Department Of JUS
tice today admit that the owners
have tried to get them out, but none
was able TO say that he had seen
the notice from the Wardman Co.
The usual procedure is TO serve a
30day notice; if the tenants are still
in the premises then a 7-day sum-
mons from the court is procured and
If the court decides that restitu-
ton of the property is proper a writ
of execution is made out and the
| marshal evicts the tenant. The evic-
ton requires approximately two
months, so that should the depart
ment be evicted il would require
almost another 60 days to accom-
plish it. The writS are served on
the local Police Court.
The Department of Justice Building
was erected at the beginning of the
World War by Harry Wardman and
is an eight story limestone Office
structure. After going through the
hands of several owners and coming
under the scrutiny of Congress dur
ing one of the early rental investiga-
tionS, it passed from the hands of
the +. H. Smith Co. back to Mr..
Wardman at an auction sale last
March. Inc building was sold under
a defaulted deed of trust and bought
in by Mr.. Wardman for $3.50, 900.
Senator Smoot, chairman of the Pub
lie Buildings Commission, which has
charge of housing all Government ac-
tivitieS, and allOcateS all space, refer
ring to the eviction notice today said:
1T is true that notice was served
on the Attorney General to vacate the
building which the Department of
Justice is now occupying.
Cites History of Lease.
'"The history Of the leasing of this
building by the Government is as fol-
lows:
"A lease was made for a period of
10 years by the original owners at a
rental of $4,000 per annum. At the
expiration of that lease / asked Con-
gress to make an appropriation Of
SIS 900 per annum for the lease of the
building. or. in other words. requested
(COntinued on Page 9 Column L.