Evening star., 1926-09-05
No Mall Department Buildings

1t is not too hate To change the
plan To pi.ca the new Department of
Commerce bniIdiuG on the Mall. y
site within that reservation has been
tentatively selected bV the Public
Buildings Commission. across the
Mall from the Department of Agrirul
ture. but thA more the plan Is studied
the less desirable il appears 10 locate
this large structure there. 4 recon
sideration of The project should now
be had with a view to finding some
better, more suitable site.
buildings Of certain type may
but the great commerce building. such
as that which is designed. described
as the largest public office building
In Washing on. is not OF that char
acter.
The Mall is at present occupied,
outside of the temporary structures
which will eventually he moved If
they do not fan to pieces through de
OF old times aud undoubtedly To be
razed the Army Medical Museum
the Old and the new National Museum
buildings. the Smithsonian. the t'reer
Gallery. and the group comprising
the Department of Agricuiture~ The
two museum buildings and the f'r-el
Gallery are suitable for park emplace-
ment The Army Medical Museum
should never have been placed there
and there is the hope that il will be
removed 1t is far from being AN
architectural attraction and is quite
unsuited 10 its surroundings. The
Department. of Agriculture was placed
iii the Mall many years ago. 1t was
thought then to be an attractive
building. Public taste has changed
and it is now recognized as an in
trusion. During the adminStra ion
of PreSident Roosevelt provision WAS
made for "a new Department of Asri-
culture home, and two wings. sep
arated by a considerable distance.
were erected. 10 he Joined later. 1t
was Il mistake to build these two
units in the park. They should have
been placed on other land. south of
the Mall if il was desirable to retain
approximately the same situation.
The proposed new National Gallery
should and doubtless will he located
adjacent to the new National NIu-
scum. being part of the Smithsonian
Institution. Of which the Museum is
an adjunct. This structure should he
the only addition 10 the occupants of
the park.
A public reservation is not Il suit
able place for II large department
structure To erect the Commerce
building on site opposite the De
crowd the reservation at that point
near the Washington Monument and
destroy its character as Il park.
II a park emptacement for the Com
merce building is suitable WHY should
not the new Internal Revenue Build
ing he placed within The reservation?
There is just as much reason for one
as for the other. If economy is To he
the major consideration the public
buildings should All be put in he
parks. But fortunately the United
States does not need to economiZe in
the matter Of building sites. II is
under no necessity to use its public
reservations Tor constructions. Ii has
definitely indicated in the purchase
of the five squares that constitute the
western end of the MalI-AVenue tri-
angle purpose 10 build up that space
with its necessary structures and is
about To place TWO Of the needed pub
lie buildings on that area. Il should
continue the process and locate the
Commerce building in another portion
Of the triangle.
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