Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-23
WAR DEPARTMENT
HOUSING STUDIED
Board Named in Compliance
With Presidents
Instructions.

In compliance with directions given
by President Hoover, board of officers
was appointed today to make complete
survey of the housing of War Depart
ment activities in Washington, with a
view to determining the need for the
erection of new building, possibly III
the Mall, to house the department.
President Hoover directed such sur
vey of the congestion in the State, War
and Navy Building, where the State
and War Departments are now housed,
in letter to the Secretary of War on
November /. A board was named to
make the survey today in the depart
ment's special orders.
The board comprises Maj. Gen. b
Frank Cheatham, the quartermaster
general; Maj. Gen. Charles H. Bridges,
the adjutant general, and Brig. Cen
Ewing E. Booth, assistant chief OF STAN.
The board will begin its study I'M
mediately upon being called Tor the
first session by Gen. Cheatham, the
senior officer. He arrives IN New IorK
today from a trip to Europe.
In Line With Program.
The proposal for a new building to
house the widespread activities OF tne
War Department is said to be strictly
in line with President HooVer,s gen
eral building program for the GoVern-
ment If the survey recommends sucn
project as expedient, 1t was expected
that a Recommendation for an authori-
zation of the necessary appropriations
would he forwarded to Congress In time
to obtain action before the END OF the
fiscal year. -, =.
Although the Presidents letter in
structing the survey to be mace was
not given out for publication, II Is
understood Mr.. Hoover feels tnat tne
housing of all War Department actlv-
itieS ,inder one roof would work not
only for greater efficiency in the de-
partment, but also for more economy.
The idea was advanced that the NUM-
tions Building, at Seventeenth and b
streets, where most of the War Depart
nent offices are located, could then be
diverted wholly to the uses OF the Navy
Department.
State Department Needs.
The prospects of an advancement OF
the activities of the State Department
through increased appropriation In the
next budget, with consequent de-
mand for more space in the present
building, is expected to neceSsitate more
offices for State Department activities.
This is one of the chief reasons why
survey of the State, War and Navy
Building is essential now.
A similar situation arose during the
World War when a simultaneous ex-
pansion of both the State and War
Departments resulted in the removal OF
the entire Navy Department from the
building to new quarters at seventeenth
and B streets. A similar building known
as the Munitions Building alongside the
Navy Department now houses large
part of the War Department activities,
but is not of sufficient size to house the
entire department.
Easily Consumed Space.
The State, War and Navy Building
provides Office space for the general
staff of the Army, the adjutant general,
the inspector general, the Judge advo-
cate general, the office of the chief Of
chaplains, the Office of public informa-
tion and several minor activities. This
space, it is realized, could easily be con-
sumed by any enlarging OF the State
Department activities.
Crowded as it is, the Munitions Build
ing could provide no relief in this event.
President Hoover is said to feel very
keenly about the need of a new build
| ing for the War Department of suffi-
! cient size to take care of all its needs
in Washington. In many ways, 1T is
believed in War Department circles, this
would work out to the economic ad-
vantage of the department.
It would relieve the necessity, for one
thing, Of providing Office space for many
temporary officers and activities con-
| Quoted from time to time, which now
necessitate overcrowding IN the NUM-