Evening star., 1926-06-18
Snare the Mall!

The Public Buildings Commission
considering n recommendation that
the building to be constructed for the
Department Of Commerce under ihe
ive.year fifty-million dollar program
should be located in the section Of the
Mall south of street north. between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. part
of the proposed site heinz covered
now by "A line OF greenhouses belong
Ing TO the Department, of Agriculture.
This suggestion OF n site is not in
agreement with the best plan for
making Washington The worlds great
Capital \ few days ag" il was an
nounced that the Department Of Com
merce Building will he on the block he
tween r and G streets and Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets" II was also an
nounced at that time that the pro
posed Internal Revenue Building
would be erected on the Mall on the
south side Of r street, probably be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth
streets.
The open spaces Of the Mall seem to
offer an almost overpowerinc attrac-
ton to architects as sites for Govern
ment buildings. 1t is the central part
cf Washington. yet there is an unre-
lenting desire to destroy it's park char
acter, its viStas. groves. gardens and
drives and to build il up with Govern
ment houses.
Between Pennsylvania avenue and
the Mall and Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets the Government. years ago.
bought squares of land for the puf-
pose of erecting Government buildings
there. The reason for making that
purchase was to reclaim or re-
deem o" improve that part of the city
and to help in keeping Government
buildings out Of the parks. The struc-
lures provided for under the general
building bill lately become Law
should be. as far as possible. built on
that Government land between the
Avenue and the Mall and upon the
remainder of the Mall.Avenue tri-
angle. and not on the Mall. This
would bring that part of the city
out of its shabby and Unlocking state.
would halt the degeneration Of Penn
sylvia mia avenue and help to make
II what the founders of the Capital
and many founders of the United
States desired it to be. the main thor
oughfsre of the Capital and one of the
grand avenues Of the world.
Now. while the Government has
bought a part. and will finally own the
whole of the triangle between the Mall
and Avenue and Third and Fifteenth
streets. there seems to be disposition
not to Use the Government land be-
tween the Avenue and the Mall for
sites for the buildings authorized by
Congress. but to make a new invasion
of the Mall which would no doubt en-
courage other inva sions and finally
undo the main park planned by the
designers of the Capital.
The spirit Of the Bruce amendment
is against the use Of the parks for
building sites. That amendment de-
rlared that with certain exceptions the
proposed buildings should be south of
Pennsyh ania avenue or south of the
Mall. The purpose Of that amendment
was to improve part of Washington
greatly needing improvement. compel
the use OF land bought by the Govern
nent for building sites and relieve
many persons from the temptation to
cut Government parks up into build.
Ing lots. IL Senator Bruce had written
into his amendment a prohibition
against using park land as sites for
the proposed buildings the amend.
ment in that form would. without
doubt. have been approved by Con-
gress.
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