Evening star., 1930-12-14
R-NAW GROUP
SITE TO Be CHOSEN
Commission Meets Tuesday,;
Sentiment Gains for
Southwest Location.

Selection Of Q location for the pro-
posed new War and Navy buildings is
the principal problem to be acted on at
q meeting of the Public Buildings
Commission to be held at $50 O'Clock
Tuesday morning. An increasing
weight of opinion appears now to favor
mental structure.
From several sources during the past
few days have come inklingS that the
Southwest site probably may be selected.
This site Is known as the Southeast
Triangle" Of the Mall, although 1t u
located In the Southwest part Of the
City Of Washington. It Is an area on
the south side Of the Mall in position
to correspond and to balance with the
Municipal Center on the north side Of
Pennsylvania avenue between Third and
Sixth streets.
Generally speaking, this location for
the War and Navy buildings will face
the new Botanic Gardens on the east
and the Mall itself on the north. 1t Is
bounded on the south by D street and
Virginia avenue, on the north by Mary
land avenue and B street, on the east
by Second street and on the west by
Seventh street.
Others Are Considered.
other sites are under consideration,
including q location across Seventeenth
street from the present State, War and
Navy Building, on the corner where the
Mills Building now stands. The Fine
Arts Commission Is understood In
formally to favor this site. 1t would
carry the War and Navy Buildings
along Pennsylvania avenue from the
corner of Seventeenth possibly to Elgnt-
eenth street. =.
wide differences Of opinion still exist
over the best location for the monu-
mental structures for the War and navy
Department Buildings.
Reports that the site on the south
side Of the Mall Ii increasingly Ia
vored come from sources Of much re-
sDonsibility. close to the officials who
viii have in their hands the decision.
But the matter still Is to be threSheo
out and q decision reached by the Pub
lie Buildings Commission. This COM
mission represents both the legislative
and the executive branches Of the Gov
ernment, and Is headed BY senator
Reed Smoot Of Utah.
Another location in the general victn-
ity between the Interior Department
and the Naval Hospital was considered
at one time as likely site.
Interest In southwest
Interest in the Southwest location is
keen for the reason that 1t will not only
affect the War and Navy Department
personnel, but is also considered aS likely
to have an important influence In
changing the character Of the South
west section of the city.
Location of the War and Navy De-
partment buildings in that section. it
Wni1Id them n
larger area into which they could ex-
pand during time Of war, and on which
temporary buildings could be construct
ed for the period of the emergency. The
site u closer to the Army War College,
the Marine Barracks and to the Navy
Yard than the Northwest sites. This
area would give an added Importance
to the War and Navy group OF build
ings, it Is pointed out by those in favor
of It, because they would be the sole
occupants of this large site and would
face a spacious and parklike place on
at least two sides-the Botanic Gardens
on the east and the Mall on the north.
It is known, however, that there are
objections to the Southwest site which
are being strenuOusly put forward by
certain persons. There are some, for
instance, who object to going to that
section Of the city, nearer the railroad
yards, and prefer something closer to
the other executive establishments in
the Northwest instead Of the South
west There are those also who claim
1t would be more advantageous o loca-
ton for employees to reach on going to
work.
Question OR TFafAc.
Persons favoring the site, on the other
hand, argue that improved traf1c fa-
cilities loom, that both b street north