Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-07
Warning Issued That Park
South of White House Be
Not Disturbed.
INSISTS ON ADHERENCE
TO 1901 CENTRAL PLAN
Submerged Street and Similar Pro.
posed Alterations to Be Wig
orously Fought.


National Commission of Fine Arts thai
under no condition must the Presp
dents park. or the park area contain
ing the Ellipse, Immediately south oS
the White House, be disturbed in any
arrangements of buildings or auto
mobile parking areas involved in the
building plan for the triangle east o.
Fifteenth street. At the same time
the commission served notice that any
scheme involving destruction of any
part of the Mall or any plan destroy
ing clear vista up the east and west
axis between the Lincoln Memorial
and the Capitol will be vigorously op
posed.
Aroused by various suggestions for
diverting traffic down the Mall in an
east and west direction. and another
for construction or subways under the
Mall in both north and south and
east and west directions, members Of
the commission reiterated today their
adherence to the National Capital cen.
trail plan Of 1901, and declared that
any proposal to eliminate the major
features Of the plan would be vigor.
ously opposed.
Oppose Mall Changes.
'This commission feels that the plan
of 1901 should be carried out in it's
entirety, consonant with the modifica.
tlons made necessary because of
changed traffic conditions" H. p.
Caemmerer, secretary, declared today.
AT the same time we do not believe
that any change should be made in
the composition Of the Mall as pro.
posed in the 1901 plan or in the Pres.
ident's Park. This area Immediately
south of the White House should be
preserved forever as a park and
should not be allowed to be modified
by any building plans or changes in
traffic arrangements of the Capital"
AT the same time the commission
members said they would oppose q
suggestion that a submerged street
be placed on the line Of B street down
the Mall to permit of easy access east
and west from the Capitol to the
group of Government buildings to 90
up in the triangle.
The idea Of such a ditch in the
center Of the Mall is obnoxious" Mr..
Caemmerer said.
Favor Treasury Plaza.
Believing that the suggested treat.
ment of the intersection of Fifteenth
street with Pennsylvania avenue, an
made in drawings now before archi.
tects OF the Treasury, is commendable
and worthy of completion. the fine
arts body will work with the archi.
tects on any plan that will solve the
traffic problem certain to be brought
up with the concentration Of upward
OF 10000 Government employees in the
area between Pennsylvania avenue,
Fifteenth street and B street. north
west. Under this plan all street cars
now running on Fifteenth street
would be diverted to Fourteenth street
and there would be no street car
traffic on Fifteenth street. The plans
provide for plaza treatment of the
area south of the Treasury Building,
including the area in which the Sher-
man statue is situated. At the same
lime the traffic throat" at the inter.
section Of Fifteenth street and New
ork avenue would be alleviated by
Of north and south street
car traffic on Fifteenth street.
AS soon as the public building pro.
gram already Endorsed by the Public
Buildings Commission is definitely un.
der way members of the fine arts body
VIII confer with the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission and
the architects on a plan to expedite
and facilitate traffic in and out Of the
triangle wherein many of the Govern.
ment buildings will be concentrated.
The new Commerce Department
Building, to house about 5000 en-
ployes, will have within its walls park.
ing space for most of the automobiles
used by the department and its EN-.
ployes, Secretary Hoover has an.
nounced.
Car Line Decision Delayed.
The fine arts body has not arrived
at any decision regarding another
street car line crossing the Mall.
Ihree car lines now cross the Mall,
'ne at Four-and-a-Half street, another
It Seventh street and still another at
Fourteneth street. These. the commits
SION believes, should be sufficient to
AIRY the heavy passenger traffic into
he Mall in the morning and out late
n the afternoon.
work on the program in the
rlaAgle Will be resumed by the board
Il architectural consultants Saturday
vhen it returns TO Washington.
Members of the board have been
equested by Secretary Mellon of the
treasury not only to proceed with
urther details on the architectural
Ian for buildings scheduled for
arly erection, but also to go ahead
With their studies of buildings for
he future. The board has held sew
raj meetings and developed the plan
or general treatment of the triangle
ounded by Pennsylvania avenue.
fifteenth street and B street. With
he program officially adopted by the
'ublic Buildings Commission and ap-
roved by the National Capital Park
nd Planning Commission, the archi-
ects are now ready to go ahead on
ractical details.
Working plans are being prepared
Or the first buildings to go under
ontract. the Department of Agricul-
IRE and the Internal Revenue Bu-
eau, but they have not vet reached