Evening star., 1926-10-12
Fine Arts Commission Favors
70 Only Museum Type Struc-
lures in That Area.
AVENUE LOCATION HELD
BEST FOR NEW BUILDING
Letter to Smoot Rejects Agricul'
ture Offices From North Side
of Parkway.


nouncement by the National Commits
sion of Fine Arts that it opposes con
struction of any departmental build
ing on the north side Of the Mall. op
posite the Department Of Agriculture
and the definite statement by commits.
sion officials that the fine arts body
Is aligned against encroachment or
the Mall Of any building Of a purely
Government business nature. The
site opposite the Department Of Ag,
riculture group fronting on B street
between Twelfth and Fourteenth
streets has been proposed as the 10.
cation for the new Commerce Depart
ment Building and has been opposed
by Secretary Of Agriculture Jardine.
At the same time the commission
in a letter to Senator Smoot, made
public today, suggests that the origi-
nal location Of the Commerce Depart
ment structure in the area between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets,
Pennsylvania avenue and B street
be retained for that structure.
Text of Letter to Smoot.
The letter Of the commission to Sen
ator Smoot. chairman of the Public
Buildings Commission, follows
Dear Senator Smoot:
"Your communication of July 7, in
closing a letter addressed to you as
chairman of the Public Buildings
Commission by the Hon. the Secretary
Of Agriculture, was received. You
ask the comments Of the Commission
Of Fine Arts on the Secretarys letter.
Secretary Jardine Is opposed to the
erection of the building for the De-
partment of Commerce in the area on
the north side Of the Mall. opposite
the Department Of Agriculture He
states that the workers in the De
partment of Agriculture have long
looked forward to a new home on
that site, and he asks that the De-
pertinent OF Agriculture have oppor--
tunitx to lay before the proper au.
t!sAIiftes it's rel authorizations ss. to
the utilization, OF these grounds.
After conferences with Secretary
Jardsne. the Commission Of Fine Arts
has reached these conclusions:
Il. That the Mall area in question
should not be allotted to any depart
mental building, but should be re-
served for a building of the Museum
type. which can be kept down to a
AcI6nt Ill Will OlkkSI
in the Mall and can have those land
seape features essential to park build
ings. This would preclude It's use for
the Department of Agriculture, as
well as for the Department of Com
merce.
''2. The Commission Of Fine Arts
Is Of the opinion that the Depart.
ment OF Commerce Building should be
located as provided by Congress, In
the area between. Fourteenth and F1f.
teenth streets, Pennsylvania avenue
and B streets northwest.
For the commission,
VERY respectfully, yours,
CHARLES MOORE.
Chairman
Commissions First Stand.
The letter today is the first state
ment Of the fine arts body in opposi
ton to placing the Commerce Depart
ment Building on the Mall.
H. p. Caemmerer, secretary of the
commission, explained that Congress
originally intended the Commerce De
partment should be placed in the
Fifteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue site, even though some con.
f1ict has arisen in connection with q
claim by the Department Of Justice
on this location.
Another new development came to-
day with the information that plans
are under consideration for placing
the Department Of Justic Building on
Pennsylvania avenue at Sixth street,
where the St. James Hotel is now
located. Mr.. Caemmerer said the com
mission is Of the opinion that the Mall
should be reserved for semi-publio
buildings Of the type of the Freer
Gallery and the National Museum and
should not be utilized for building OF
the purely public nature Of the large
Government Departments.
He added that at some future date
q national gallery of art building will
be constructed in the Mall and that II
should probably go in near the presen,
National Museum. The commission
secretary said the automobile parking
problem Is becoming pressing and in
dicated the commission feels parked
automobiles should be kept off the
Mall as much as possible. Plans for
the new Commerce Department build
ing include parking space within the
building for about 500 cars with a
ramp arrangement.
Patent Office Problem.
In this connection, the commission
also has before 1t the problem OF To-
eating the proposed new Patent Office
Building. In the view Of the commits.
sion officials, this structure, a large
and commodious building to take care
of the greatly increased work Of the
Patent ONCE, could well be construct.
ed in the area between Pennsylvania
avenue and B street and between
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets,
along with other buildings of the
Commerce Department, the entire
group to be connected either by ar
cades crossing above the intersect.
ing streets, or by passageways be.
low street level under the streets.
The Commerce Department. ac-
cording to Mr.. Caemmerer, could use
at least two and possibly three
blocks in the area between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and B street. Another
suggestion has been made that the
building to be vacated by the Patent
ONCE II a new structure Is built for
the office, can be used by the Labor
Department. now housed in a rented
building on G street near Seventeenth.
Secretary Jardinea early in the
Summer. when the Twelfth and B
CONTINUED on Page Q. Column 81